The Last Hero
by BBAKaizer21
Summary: UPDATE: Nov 1 2008, Last Hero is undergoing major editing! Watch for updates! Konoha is threatened once more by the demon clans of the Fire country. What do one mechanic, one teacher and a group of social outcasts have to do with the struggle? A lot.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

The Last Hero

"_Once, many years ago, when demons were accepted by the humans, the two clans ruled the Fire continent in peace. Then, the head demon, a fox with nine tails, a monster among monsters, attacked the defenseless city of Konoha. A mysterious warrior, known only as 'Hokage', appeared when the monster began its blind destruction of Konoha. He, at the cost of his own life, finally defeated the fox, aided by his Summon, the Head Toad. The rulers of Konoha now take his name as their own, paying tribute to the hero who chained the fox inside a newly born boy, whose soul was destroyed by the fox's corrupted energy. This boy, one a citizen of Konoha, became the fox in a weaker form, incapable of regaining its former shape, the chains binding the fox inside the body locking away its unimaginable power. The abomination was, thankfully, killed at the age of six on the anniversary of noble Hokage's death…_"

Closing his eyes, Uzumaki Naruto blocked out the rest of the lecture, silently fuming. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled when he discreetly looked around and saw all the other kids listening to the instructor with rapt attention, enthralled by the exciting passage from the Book of Triumphs, the holy book of prophecy and law. The small, stuffy classroom, filled with boys and girls of ages ranging from fifteen to seventeen, was made even more uncomfortable by the scent of incense wafting from the shrine to Hokage.

Positioned in the center of the room at the front so that everyone could see it easily, the shrine was little more than two wooden poles, painted blood-red, going from the floor to the ceiling, with a horizontal pole, cut in half, about five feet off the ground. In the center of the platform created by the horizontal pole, a statue of the Hokage stood, his expression one of determination, mouth open in a silent battle cry. The poles on either side of the statue had little holders for incense, the holders branded with a stylized leaf, the symbol of Konoha. (1)

Familiar anger clawed at Naruto's stomach whenever the teacher mentioned the fox; clenching his fists, the blonde boy of seventeen tried not to let his rage show. If he dared disagree with the Book of Triumphs' decrees, he could be tried for treason and killed by way of Hokage's Justice. The Hokage Mountain, a mountain carved into the face of the Hokage, was a shine to the Hokage who had defeated the fox; it was sacred to the villagers of Konoha, a holy place to go and pray if someone wanted the Hokage's advice. Below the Hokage's carved face were the faces of the village's founder and the man, who after saving the village from a devastating tsunami, became the next ruler of Konoha. Hokage's face was the largest, most prominent and most revered; the other men were important, yes, but Hokage had saved the village from their enemy, the fox, willingly giving up his life for people he didn't even know. This made him a hero in the eyes of the people.

At the Mountain's base were the Blade Courts, where trials of varying importance were held. Traitors of Konoha or the Fire country were tied to weights and thrown from the mountain's top, their last moments of Konoha's citizens cheering for his or her death and songs of 'merciful justice'. This way of killing traitors was called merciful because the people believed that the Hokage's spirit still protected the village, and betrayers were severely punished and sentenced to eternal torture in the pits of Hell; anything the people of Konoha did to the traitor was nothing compared to what the Hokage would do.

Naruto was greatly relieved when the instructor turned and bowed to the shrine, then clapped his hands four times. The ritual morning reading was over, and students filed out, stopping to bow to the shrine when they passed. Naruto bowed, blonde hair falling into his face; he would have to get a haircut soon. He walked slowly to his first class, already depressed. It was a Monday, meaning that he wouldn't see his friend and landlord, Umino Iruka, until that night. Naruto endured the day of classes, keeping himself sane with the idea of Iruka's awesome cooking; he didn't know how the other kids could stand having theories, definitions and codes drilled into their skulls day after day. Konoha, being a leader in technological advances, taught all its children how to master computers, producing some of the best hackers ever known. Naruto barely managed to get through his last class with agitated shuffling and constant glances at the clock.

He left the Citadel, descending into the First Level. Konoha was a city of three levels. The top-most level was the Citadel, the area of Konoha where all the government-funded schools and research labs were; all its buildings had domed roofs, and people got from building to building by way of thin bridges that arched gently. It was clean and quiet; almost _too_ quiet, Naruto thought. Toad Children, the sons and daughters of the nobles, attended the best Academies at the Citadel, their parents either in the government, the military, or worked as researchers. Children who were state-funded, such as orphans like Naruto, were required to attend school, but were usually forbidden to enter the Citadel, the parents of Toad Children not wanting their precious offspring to mingle with 'those foxes', as the lower class was often called.

Naruto was allowed into the highest-ranking Citadel school, Hokage Education Academy, because of Iruka. Naruto, just turned seventeen was thus not an adult, and Iruka, as his landlord, was recognized as his legal guardian in the eyes of the state; Iruka being of a high rank as Head Instructor of HEA, ensured that Naruto got a good education.

Naruto was suddenly pushed onto the ground, one arm pinned tightly behind his back by strong arms. A knee dug into the small of his back and Naruto had trouble breathing; someone was practically sitting on him, and whoever he or she was, they were no lightweight.

Please let me know what you think. I know it's weird, but it's AU, so deal with it.

Notes:

(1) – It's a Japanese-style shrine, but it goes from the floor to the ceiling of the room.


	2. Chapter 2: An Odd Meeting

"Are you authorized to be here?" A man sneered, voice sharp and cold. Naruto shifted his head so his face wasn't making an indentation on the ground.

"Yeah, yeah I am authorized." He growled, trying to glare at the person pinning him.

"Hn. Somehow, I doubt it." Naruto resisted rolling his eyes, knowing to do so would get a bullet it his head. He was dressed in the mandatory uniform of HEA: dark grey pants with a matching jacket over a white collared shirt. Even his uncomfortable black shoes were part of the uniform. Despite his clothing, a rather obvious statement that he belonged in the Citadel, Naruto was stopped, every day like clockwork, by one or more Shinobi. Shinobi, a branch of Konoha's army that acted as guards and riot police, were feared by the lower classes, who often suffered at the hands of the rather violent group. Shinobi had two ranks: Jounin and Chunin. The Jounins were more violent than Chunins, called in to deal with dangerous criminals and traitors, while Chunins usually appeared when crowds got ugly or riots broke out.

Naruto sent a swift prayer that his restrainer was a Chunin. A Chunin would probably let him go home with just bruises and a few broken bones; a Jounin, on the other hand, was more likely to crack his skull, break his neck, or kill him.

"Is there a reason for this, Shinobi?" Iruka's voice was harsh and loud, ringing with authority. The shinobi on top of Naruto didn't get up, despite how commanding Iruka sounded, but bowed his head; Umino Iruka was well-known and respected, and even military people obeyed him.

"Umino, sir, I was-."

"I see." Iruka said, glancing at Naruto. Naruto flashed his friend a quick smile that Iruka didn't return.

"Release the student, Shinobi." The shinobi obeyed, staying close enough to pin Naruto again if he made any sudden moves. "Do you have identification?" Iruka asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, Instructor Umino." Naruto made sure he sounded a bit respectful, very aware of the shinobi behind him. He got out his wallet and presented Iruka with his Pass.

Every citizen of Konoha had a Pass, issued at birth, and anyone trying to enter the village had to have one before they were allowed to step foot inside. A Pass, a thin metal card with a computer chip in its center, the chip holding all of the carrier's data, was required for almost everything: buying groceries, entering most buildings, and going between city levels.

'Official information', the stuff the government cared about, such as name, age, school, and criminal record, appeared in large black font under a picture of the Pass's subject, updated each year. Other information, like address, guardian's name and contacts, height, weight, eye and hair color, showed in smaller font on the back of the Pass.

Iruka grunted, and nodded; Naruto put his Pass away, once more very glad for Iruka's high position.

"Identification affirmed." Iruka looked directly at the lingering shinobi, who seemed unsure about leaving a respected person alone with Naruto. "Good hunting, Shinobi." Iruka said, his tone indicating dismissal. The shinobi finally left; Iruka's face broke into a tired smile as soon as the black-clad man was gone.

"Again, Naruto?"

"You know I can't help it, Iruka. They stop me every day!" Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose. He had thought of getting Naruto a Fire Pass, a type of Pass government officials had, but the boy would have nothing to do with the idea.

"I'll be back around eight, Naruto."

"See ya then, Iruka!" Naruto grinned and turned to leave. As he walked away, he heard Iruka sigh softly.

--

The First Level was just as clean as the Citadel, but had the muffled sounds of voices coming from inside the buildings, making it less intimidating.

The First Level, also called Upper City, was the home of most nobles and members of the government. Toad families lived in vast houses with the Toad's symbol, an upside-down calligraphic U with a dot in the center (1), painted above the front doors of the mansions. Government people, like judges, military officials, the heads of technology and bioengineering companies, Citadel instructors, and researchers, lived in houses larger than the nobles', with the most current security systems and up-to-date technology available.

A few major companies, like the Gamabunta Technology Corporation, whose products were used in almost every household, had several large stores in Upper City, selling their latest item to the nobles. Designer clothing stores, those that sold clothes of high quality and usually made of silk, and fine dining restaurants also had stores in Upper City, catering to the aristocracy.

Naruto didn't linger in Upper City, feel very vulnerable in the wide streets where only a few people were walking. He hurried to reach the arch at the south end of the level that marked the end of Upper City and the beginning of Demon's End.

The stone arch was old and covered with the thick grime that seemed to characterize Demon's End. Its supports were covered with layer upon layer of mud, and the entire thing was in need of a good scrubbing. Nameless, it stood guard over Demon's End, a lonely gate between the lower and upper classes. Unlike the arches of the Citadel and Upper City, which had a scanner for Passes, the arch of Demon's End was just stone; there was no need for a scanner, the nobles felt, because who would _want_ to go into Demon's End?

As soon as the smell of dirt, sweat, rotting fruit and baking bread reached his nose, Naruto paused a moment to just enjoy it. After an entire day of being cooped up in the Citadel, Demon's End was a welcome change. He ducked into a little corner, at the base of the arch, shadowed and unnoticeable, and stripped off his school uniform. From the small black backpack he had hidden he pulled out his normal clothes, stuffing his boring grey clothes into the backpack. If he was seen in Citadel clothing in Demon's End, he would end up robbed, raped, and probably killed. When he emerged from the shadows, no one at school would have recognized him.

Baggy black pants, rumpled, the hems torn and weighed down with dried mud, were slightly too long for him, but it didn't matter. His shirt, which was a deep blood red, had a black spiral in the center; its tattered sleeves revealed Naruto's arms, sun-kissed and well muscled from long hours of hard work. Naruto shoved his feet inside his well-worn sandals, black in color; the soles were still intact and while the bandages holding them together looked a bit strange, Naruto couldn't throw the threadbare shoes away when he could still get a few more month's wear out of them. He grinned happily, enjoying the feel of wet mud slipping between his toes when he stood. Naruto put enough multicolored rope bracelets, supple and frayed from wear and tear, to cover most of his left forearm, and slid a ring, made of brass and with a paw print on it, onto the middle finger of his left hand. With the skill of one repeating an age-old habit, he wrapped every other finger of both hands with white bandages, wrapping his wrists as well. He fastened a choker of orange, black and red strings braided together around his neck, and pulled his dog tags, dangling on a long chain necklace, out from under his shirt. He brushed his fingers over the tags, skin tracing the marred metal, eyes staring down at the three claw marks on each tag. Naruto resumed changing; the final touch to his outfit was a crimson bandana tied around his left thigh, the knot at the side.

Naruto walked down the center street for a few minutes, then abruptly turned right, then left, and turned right. No one gave him a second glance; the blonde was very good at adapting, and fit right in with the people of Demon's End. He could hold his own against the many warring gangs of Demon's End, and had done so on several occasions. He wasn't part of any gang, however; he didn't want to get involved in the often fatal wars waged almost daily. He _liked_ living, thank you very much.

With his many years of experience, Naruto knew the mud-smeared, grime-coated realm of Demon's End like the back of his hand, and was a pro at navigating the chaotic trails of ankle-high mud that had no sense of order or pattern. The narrow, twisty streets that were more like alleyways wound through the land like the careless strokes of a child's pencil, randomly crossing one another and sometimes circling back on themselves. Naruto knew them all well, and could thus avoid the worst areas of Demon's End. He knew where the battle 'arenas' where the gang wars took place were, and which corners belonged to whom. There were corners where hookers waited for unsuspecting victims to seduce and rob blind, corners where druggies lounged in a haze, places where kids sat with lost expressions and hollow faces, alone and unloved in the world. Entire neighborhoods could go up in flames because some alcoholic sleeping off a hangover forgot to turn off their stove, and people were murdered, shot, attacked, forced into fights they had no place in every day.

Naruto had seen and experienced the worst of human nature, and had the scars to prove it. A yell brought him back from his dark thoughts. He saw a kid fly backwards into a building as if thrown, his head banging against the wall with a sharp _crack_. A man reeking of alcohol and stale vomit lumbered towards the kid, who couldn't have been more than nine or ten.

"Damn Konohamaru." The man shouted hoarsely, pointing a shaky finger at the child crumpled on the ground. "Moocher! No-good _fox_!" Naruto winced; anything relating to foxes or demons, such as 'kit' or even 'tail' was a slur and an insult, the worst being 'nine-tails'. Though seventeen years had passed since the Nine-Tails attack, Konoha's hatred was deep and unending. Iruka had once told Naruto that a massive amount of research on how to eradicate demons from existence was being funded by the government, as were companies that created weapons capable of destroying demons; apparently, demons still existed, but were wise enough not to come anywhere near Konoha.

"A _fox_! That's what this little punk is, a tailed beast!" Naruto snarled, growling a little, prepared to kill the man for his blunder. _A tailed beast is not the same as a demon_, his mind screeched indignantly. _There are significant differences that tell us apart, for God's sake!_ The man picked the kid, Konohamaru, up by his collar, bringing his arm back to punch the kid. Naruto moved quickly to get between the kid the and man, catching the drunk's fist in his hand.

"Let go of the kid." He said, voice dangerously low, eyes narrowed to slits. The man blinked stupidly. "Now." Naruto growled, squeezing the man's fist a bit; he felt bones crunch beneath his fingers. The man howled in agony, dropping the kid to clutch his injured hand. Naruto spun to catch the falling child before he hit the ground, shouldering the kid piggyback style. He walked away from the drunk, quickly disappearing into the mulling crowds.

--

Please Review!

Notes:

(1) It's the symbol on Gamabunta's chin. Seeing as he's the Head Toad, I think it fits.


	3. Chapter 3: Fox Garage

Demon's End was where at least two thirds of Konoha's population lived, so it was natural that there was constant activity. The narrow, muddy streets were crammed with people, all moving to an unheard rhythm. The air was filled with noise: the growls and snarls of dogfights and yells of kids as they placed bets on which dog would win, the chatter of women gossiping over strings of drying laundry, the street venders' loud calls of the names of various objects for sale, with the occasional gunshot heard in the distance. People haggled over the prices of fruits, vegetables, two day-old bread, and live animals like chicken and rabbits. Fights were commonplace, as were weapons.

Naruto maneuvered with easy grace through the busy streets, performing his part in the silent dance flawlessly, even with a thirty-pound kid on his back. He made his way to the east side of Demon's End, a section called Foxtown.

Foxtown was the 'better' side of Demon's End; in other words, the black market didn't rule supreme and there were only five arenas instead of the usual eighteen. Because Foxtown was on the east side, it was closer to the Konoha River.

The Konoha River was a broad river that was lined with one long marketplace. The part of the market that was in Demon's End was quite shady, with most of its 'traders' were smugglers, druggies with the rare tradesman. Naruto knew where to find those rare few, and so his produce was less likely to be rotten when he bought it and any meat was relatively uncontaminated.

Foxtown was, however, like the rest of Demon's End, a hotspot for crime and violence, despite the best efforts of the Chunins. A quick glance at the pollution-hazed sky and Naruto hurried to get indoors; once the sun disappeared from the horizon, Demon's End really roared into life, with a night-life so wild and alcohol-crazed there were horror stories about it. Bars with music so loud and pounding it broke windows opened their doors for people of all ages as long as they could pay. Guz, a very strong, very cheap alcoholic drink sold everywhere in Demon's End, was popular with drinkers for its hallucinatory aftereffects while bar owners loved its addictive properties that kept customers coming back for more. Tailpath, the western section of Demon's End, was famous for its 'Festivals', parties where you could buy, sell, and 'test' the latest drugs. Tailpath was one of the few places where you could still find Rage, an illegal drug that induced, as its name suggested, a fit of rage in the druggie, making the user unusually strong and numb to pain.

Naruto went up the fire escape of a two-story building with an old sign in the window that read in untidy handwriting, 'Fox Garage'. He climbed into the apartment above the garage through a window; he used his front door sparingly after a certain incident three years ago. A drunk, hyped up on Rage, got a gun and decided to shoot his wife, then kill as many people as he could. Naruto had gotten two bullets in his back just going inside his apartment after school; those bullets had been the last two fired before the man killed himself.

Shaking his head at the bad memories, Naruto did a quick scan of his apartment, trying to figure out where to put the kid, who was staring to get heavy.

A mere shack compared to what the people in Upper City lived in, Naruto's apartment was an average Demon's End home. He had a single bedroom, which he used for storage and a guest bedroom if anyone should ever come over. His tiny bathroom, cramped and overcrowded despite how basic it was, had only a toilet and a narrow shower, in it, the tiles on the floor and walls cracked and badly in need of repair; Naruto could had fixed the tiles, but was too lazy to ever get around to doing it. His living room, with its dull grey carpet old and faded, was large enough for a loveseat and an armchair, the second-hand furniture held together with duct tape and wooden supports. Naruto slept on the couch, preferring to be near an exit should someone start a fire outside, which had happened just a few weeks ago. Naruto had plastered his windows with duct tape to stop the glass from falling in if shattered, and had installed horizontal metal bars inside each window to keep would-be thieves out of his house. Naruto decided to leave the kid sleeping peacefully on the couch, tucking a well-loved orange blanket around the child's bony shoulders.

Kid taken care of, Naruto went into the bedroom and opened the closet door. He carefully scrambled down the rickety stairs he had built himself. When he reached the ground, he flipped a switch. The lights flickered on and off for a while, then decided to cooperate and became steady.

Fox Garage was unusual in that it was an actual garage in the first place, not a drug ring using the garage as a façade for its illegal activities. Because of Iruka was his Guardian, Naruto had been introduced to nobles who had become high-paying customers. He usually just updated Passes, repaired weapons, inscribed passages from the Book of Triumphs into things like women's bracelets and necklaces, and fortune charms. Naruto was an expert on weapons, and he earned most of his income making personalized weapons for paranoid nobles.

The garage was your average garage, with a bare concrete floor littered with stains, and papers and tools everywhere. A screen of glass panels, thick bars secured into the black metal frames for added strength, protected a desk with a computer and a printer sitting on its wooden top. The computer, which was so old it was almost a relic to the days before the fox attacked and Konoha plunged into an industrial and technological revolution to combat the threat of being nearly destroyed again, was bulky and weighed about ten pounds. Naruto had bought the computer from an old man for a few brass coins, needing something to keep track of his customers and payments. He could have used his school computer, but had decided against it, knowing that the System could erase all his files if it were so inclined.

The System was what the government used to keep a firm grip on Konoha citizens. An elaborate program rooted in just about every computer in Konoha, the System allowed officials to view all the data ever in a computer, even if the file was deleted. The nobles believed that the System was a defense against hackers, viruses and potential errors; in reality, the System spied on everyone, linked to security cameras, radios, Image Screens, computers – anything that didn't run on batteries. Naruto's garage computer was only off the System because it was so old, the System couldn't get into it.

Naruto did a quick scan of the garage to make sure nothing had been stolen during the day. Satisfied that everything was where he had left it, he changed into his work clothes: heavy boots, a pair of orange pants, and a matching orange jacket. Though the clothes were far from pretty, with grease stains, oil smudges and a collar filthy from sweat, Naruto gazed fondly at the burnt-orange eyesores as he tied the laces of his boots. The jacket and pants were as much a part of him as the whisker-like markings on his cheeks were. Ragged and patched, the clothes were comfortable and worn soft from years of wear, but remained tough enough that Naruto could work in them, not worrying about if his clothes would catch fire or not. His boots had thick, heavy soles that ensured Naruto could walk over the metal-littered floor and not loose a few toes in the process.

Naruto got to work. He checked to make sure the flask of poison in a woman's hair accessory was hidden but within easy reach, then moved on to fixing the E-Strike of his latest customer, Mr. Ebisu. Frustrated that the gun was still jammed, Naruto sat down at the computer to review the weapon. He printed out a set of blueprints of the Strike's model and compared the drawings to the real thing.

The Strike was one of the most popular weapons in Konoha after the Bolt; it was small enough to overlook, but packed a powerful punch. About the size of a man's palm, the Strike was circular in shape with a round screen covering the entire face; on the edges of the Strike were a series of buttons.

The E-Strike was particularly nasty, made to shoot out special barbed needles that imbedded themselves into the victim's muscles; each needle had a computer chip in it that let the E-Strike's user track them on the screen, which projected a 3D image of the city, the needles blinking red. The needles were small enough that you could shoot someone and all they would feel was a momentary sting, like an insect's bite; the needles escaped notice unless a certain button was pushed. Then, the needles sent out an electrical current, its strength controlled by buttons on the E-Strike's rim, paralyzing the victim and causing pain. You could retract the needles at the push of another button, and they would come, tearing out flesh as they exited the body. The needles were stored inside the E-Strike's flat body, ejected from a small hole at the front.

Naruto dissected Mr. Ebisu's E-Strike and found that a needle had shattered somehow, slivers of it going astray and piercing wires, making the weapon jam and spit sparks. He quickly righted the problem and put the E-Strike back together, setting it aside to mail to Mr. Ebisu the next day. He checked the large whiteboard that hung on the wall next to the printer and grinned when he saw that Mr. Ebisu's E-Strike was the only thing he had to do.

He quickly cleaned up, storing tools back where they belonged and erasing the whiteboard. He pulled out a drawer of the squat filing cabinet underneath his desk, put the printouts of the E-Strike into a folder marked 'Strikes', and shut the drawer. He locked the cabinet, which contained information on nearly every weapon ever made. He even had data on experimental cannons that could launch missiles, something the government had never breathed a word about to the public.

Naruto double-checked all the doors and windows of the garage, then went over to the corner of the room where a long workbench stood. He crawled underneath the bench and moved a crate of spare parts away from the wall, exposing a small hole in the concrete. He slipped inside the hole and balanced on the thin shelf to drag the crate over the opening to hide it from view once more. He then turned away from the wall and pushed himself off the ledge.

--

Please review and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4: The Kitsune

Naruto dropped onto the first cement stair of twelve with a dull thud, having only fallen four feet. He went down the broad steps; upon reaching the ground, he pushed open the heavy door that opened into his basement.

Upon moving into his apartment, Naruto had discovered a treasure of sorts beneath his garage. An old demon shelter, built during the fox's rampage; its walls were so thick they could withstand a nuclear explosion without collapsing, originally soundproofed so the fox couldn't hear survivors. Naruto had added shelves to the metal-reinforced walls, built a narrow ramp leading to the above garage, and installed a working bathroom, tapping into the nearby sewage system. Apart from that, the shelter was as unchanged.

In the shelter, Naruto could work in peace, designing and constructing one-of-a-kind weapons for his own usage. He also hoarded things like old cars and bikes he found in Foxtown's junkyard, restoring them to working condition. He sold the rarer objects to collectors willing to pay, and kept a few, turning them into weapons, tools or used them for scrap metal. There was one thing in particular that he guarded jealously, his pride and joy.

The Kitsune.

Originally a pile of useless crap withering away in the junkyard, Naruto had taken pity upon it and brought it home. It had taken nearly five years for him to complete his restoration project, but the end result was well-worth the time, money and frustration Naruto had poured into it. Under Naruto's skilled care, the Kitsune had transformed from rusty scrap metal with a decaying engine into one awesome machine, a beast on wheels.

Naruto whisked away the protective cloth covering the Kitsune, grinning widely at the sight of his motorbike.

The Kitsune was like any other motorbike if you didn't look too closely. Another glance and you would see that it was really something completely different. (1) Its frame was designed for speed without fear of loosing control. Twenty-five-inch slotted wheels gave the bike a lower center of gravity, making it more stable; Naruto had fine-tuned the bike to be extra responsive so it could perform with both unmatched precision, agility, and balance. Its wheel guards and gas tanks were painted a deep, burnt orange. The orange wasn't not bright and ugly, but a soft and warm, like the gold-tinted rays of a dying sun against a cloud-washed sky; Naruto loved the color as much as he loved the royal purple paw print he had painted on the right gas tank.

He swung a leg over the Kitsune's back and sat down on the plush stepped saddle, black with copper studs holding the leather to the bike, and gripped the long handles, within easy reach because of the seat's forward positioning. He never tired of the thrill of pride and unadulterated joy that zipped down his spine whenever he sat on the bike. He turned the ignition and revved the engine. The Kitsune roared into life, obliterating any illusions that it was a 'sissie' bike; it rumbled like a raging beast, eager to scream down the streets at neck-breaking speeds. But Naruto didn't drive the bike outside, much as he wanted to; he was too proud of the Kitsune, and didn't want it getting damaged. The money he had spent replacing its engine with something more powerful, getting the best wheels he could find, replacing its old frame with a lighter, tougher, more aerodynamic, awesome-looking body – it had all amounted to one massive bill he had struggled to pay off for _months_.

With a sigh of regret, he turned cut the engine and got off the Kitsune, giving its bobbed rear fender an affectionate pat before recovering it with its cloth, careful to avoid the chrome exhaust pipe. Back turned towards the bike, he tinkered with a device he was creating that could hold throwing knives, which, when completed, he could probably sell to gangs for twice their worth.

Naruto stayed in the shelter until his growling stomach forced him to retreat from his peaceful haven up to his apartment; he changed back into his normal clothes first, leaving his orange work clothes downstairs. He found the kid rummaging through his stuff when he emerged from the closet.

"Hey, punk!" Naruto shouted, grabbing the kid by the collar and throwing him across the room, aiming his throw so the kid fell onto the guest bed. He had dealt with street kids before and knew the boy, raised and surrounded by violence, would only be able to understand violence; he didn't want to hurt the kid, but would if that was what it took to make the kid realize that Naruto wasn't going to tolerate a pick-pocket. Naruto picked up the pair of jeans the kid had been searching.

"If you want money, tough luck. I don't have any."

"It's Konohamaru, bastard." Naruto smirked at the kid's spirit.

"I'm a mechanic with lots of sharp objects at hand, so watch your mouth." Konohamaru snorted, unafraid.

"Yeah, right. Bastard, mechanic, same dif. I don't care."

"Sure, whatever. Just don't go through my stuff," Naruto grinned, knowing a maniac glint had appeared in his eyes; he had learned that if you looked either calmly confident or crazy, people took your threats seriously. Since he couldn't fake a calm look, Naruto went with crazy; he had become quite good at appearing insane. His mask of sadistic insanity was just one of the many masks Naruto wore; he acted stupid at school to stop teachers paying attention to him, when in reality, he was near the best of his class. He was a brilliant performer who had no trouble switching from gangster to goofball.

"Or I'll rip your balls off and shove 'em down your throat." Naruto made sure the kid got a look at his teeth; he had strangely long canines, which only helped his 'I'm-a-crazy-as-hell' image.

"Got it, _punk_?" Konohamaru nodded, effectively terrified. "Good. Now, how about some decent clothes, hm?" Naruto glanced pointedly at Konohamaru's clothes, so torn and old they were really just rags. Konohamaru huffed, refusing to look at Naruto and instead glaring at the wall. Konohamaru eventually submitted and Naruto gave him one of his old shirts, at least four sizes too big for the malnourished kid.

--

Naruto fell over laughing at Konohamaru's expression when he ate some of Naruto's specialty. Kick-Ass Brew, as he liked to call it, was a fish stew Iruka had taught him how to make that Naruto had modified into a noodle soup. KAB was so spicy it literally burned the flesh from your mouth and throat, and made your eyes start streaming. The only person other than Naruto able to eat the stuff was Iruka, immune to the intense blend of spices.

Speaking of Iruka…Naruto glanced at his watch.

Three minutes later, a familiar shot of silver hair arrived outside his window, a gloved hand knocking on the glass to catch his attention. Naruto didn't even bother to open the window -- Kakashi knew how to get in just fine on his own. The blonde got up and, ignoring the odd looks from Konohamaru, got into 'pat-down' position: legs spread slightly more than shoulder-width apart, arms straight out, eyes focused on the wall. Kakashi did his customary check on Naruto, then glanced at Konohamaru.

"Kid, let him." Naruto said, seeing Konohamaru start backing away when Kakashi stepped towards him. Surprisingly, the kid did as he was told, and, weapons search over, Kakashi retreated to his usual place, leaning against the kitchen counter. Iruka came in a moment later, knowing exactly how long Kakashi's search took to complete: one minute and two seconds. Naruto grinned upon seeing the brown-haired man, and rushed to hug him. Kakashi growled, but was otherwise silent. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"He followed me home. Can I keep him?" Iruka asked in a childish voice, looking at Kakashi, then at Naruto, who pretended to ponder it for a second.

"Mm, I guess. But you're in charge of him, OK?" Iruka ruffled Naruto's hair.

Hatake Kakashi was Iruka's ever-present bodyguard, a constant in the young teacher's life. Though he acted lazy, Kakashi was actually a very dangerous person, one of the ANBU. The ANBU, a division of the Shinobi, were highly skilled fighters trained as assassins. Kakashi, a child protégé, had been part of a government-funded research program that experimented with how young children could be turned into Shinobi. He had killed his first man at the age of six and undergone strenuous physical and mental programming to become an emotionless tool of Konoha.

After the fox was sealed, the government realized that its Shinobi had been next to useless against the demon. Thus, program had been terminated, the young brainwashed participants reprogrammed and given the rank of High Jounin. Kakashi's reprogramming had been only partially successful; he had almost no social skills and preferred killing people to talking to them. So, in an effort to keep him from cracking and going on a rampage, Kakashi had been assigned as Iruka's lifetime bodyguard.

After doing a little digging around in government files to make sure his guardian wasn't going to spend the rest of his life with some street thug who would kill Iruka as fast as look at him, Naruto had fought out that as an ANBU, Kakashi had worked under the alias 'Hound'. Naruto had immediately started calling Kakashi 'puppy', to the endless amusement of Iruka and the equally unlimited dislike of the antisocial Jounin. Naruto had once joked that Kakashi followed Iruka like a puppy following a kid home, beginning a running joke among the trio. Kakashi tolerated being the joke's subject because Iruka, the kind soul that he was, felt guilty about poking fun at his bodyguard and always fed the Jounin a diluted version of KAB to make up for it.

When first assigned as Iruka's bodyguard, Kakashi never spoke unless spoken to, and, even then, it was always a monotone one-or-two-word answer. As the years had passed, however, Kakashi had become less of a killing machine and more of a person. He acted lazy so people would forget about him, but he had a keen mind, sharp wit and a dry sense of humor that didn't match his appearance.

The silver-haired man was tall and lanky, like he had been stretched when he was young. He was also scruffy-looking, with old, scuffed sandals, black pants whose hems were dirty underneath a black shirt with a wide neckline and a forest green jacket; his hair, even more gravity-defiant than Naruto's spiky locks, was silvery-white and refused to lie flat.

Perhaps the most mysterious thing about Kakashi was his face, or rather, his mask. Kakashi flat-out refused to show his face to anyone, even Iruka, whom he was with 24-7. The black, skintight mask covered almost two-thirds of his face, and Kakashi went to great lengths to avoid questions about his mask. Naruto had tried, on several occasions, to remove Kakashi's mask, but had failed horribly, too loud and slow for the Jounin's lightning reflexes and inhuman senses of hearing and smell. Eventually, he had given up and just accepted that he would never see Kakashi's face. Naruto had, however, seen another of Kakashi's closely guarded secrets, something that very few had ever seen: his odd eye.

Konoha citizens usually had black, brown, green or blue eyes – all normal eye colors. Kakashi was unusual in that his right eye was black while his left eye was a blue so pale it looked almost white. There was a large scar running over Kakashi's steely-blue eye, but Naruto had never found any information about it. Kakashi hid his unusual feature well, as his hair naturally flopped over to the left, but he wore a black headband at an angle over the eye in case the wind should blow his hair away from his face and expose his secret.

In spite of his rather aloof nature and lazy attitude, Kakashi was one of Naruto's most trusted friends, someone he could tell anything to and not have it used as blackmail against him. If Iruka was a father figure in Naruto's eyes, Kakashi was the eccentric cousin everyone gossiped and told rumors about behind his back but didn't dare of in public conversation.

Naruto was pulled out of his musings on Kakashi by Iruka's voice.

"Well, Naruto, who's the little guy?"

"Huh? Oh, that's Konohamaru." Iruka raised a slender eyebrow. "Yeah, see, his old man was beating on him, and I couldn't let him die. Well, yeah, I could have, but that's besides the point-!" Iruka held up a hand, laughing softly.

"I get it, Naruto. Say no more, and hand me a bowl. I'm starved." Naruto smiled, and grabbed a bowl from the counter, filling it with steaming KAB. The night passed the night in comfort, Iruka asking Konohamaru questions and eating three bowls of KAB.

When Konohamaru was sent to bed by Iruka, and it was confirmed he was asleep, they got down to business, talking about things much more serious than if Naruto was going to pass the upcoming test or not.

--

I tried to make this chapter longer without loosing description but making sure stuff _happened_ and that the plot progressed. I don't really have any favorite pairings, and haven't decided if I want pairings in the fic yet, so I'm open to suggestions.

I realized I've forgotten the disclaimer for the past three chapters, so here it is:

I am making no money off this story. I do not own the series _Naruto_. The places and characters are not mine. I would, however, like to say I came up with the plot for this particular fanfiction, so please don't use stuff like the E-Strike in your fics and claim it's yours.

There, you have your disclaimer. Don't expect to see it again. I don't like disclaimers, think they are annoying (but necessary to avoid lawsuits), and that having them at the beginning of the fic takes away from the story. If something is posted on a place with the word 'fanfiction' in its name, why think it's original?

Thank you for reviewing, especially WhatDoYouMeanI'mDrunk. I'm glad the story has interested you, and hope you'll continue to read and enjoy.

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Notes:

(1) I didn't know how to really describe it. The Kitsune is a mixture of features from Harley Davidson's 1980 FXB 1340 Sturgis and the 1996 FXSTSB Badboy. Search for pictures if you want to see what they look like – they are both awesome looking bikes.

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	5. Chapter 5: Night's Discussion

"Kakashi-san, have you traced him?" Naruto asked. Kakashi nodded, his silver hair bouncing slightly.

"Yes. Our Brother, Sanbi-san, is indeed Sealed, with the title of Momochi Zabuza." Iruka and Naruto glanced uneasily at each other, knowing exactly what Kakashi was saying.

"I take it Samehada has also taken Sealed form?" Kakashi nodded again. "Do we have his title?"

If anyone had been listening to their conversation, they would have been utterly confused at the strange reference to a 'Sealed form', whatever that was, and by the formal way of speaking and the addition of honorifics.

Their talk got stranger.

"Unfortunately, we do not yet know, Naruto-sama." Naruto let out a frustrated growl, burying his face in his hands.

"Naruto-sama, I don't think exposing yourself is the best way to solve our dilemma." Iruka said softly, laying a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto flinched unconsciously. He looked up, grinning sheepishly. Naruto realized his nails had grown into claws, and calmed himself. It did him no good if he allowed every little distress to upset him.

"I'm getting too used to humans. I thought you were going to kill me, Iruka-sama." Iruka smiled, a faint blush highlighting the dark scar across his nose.

It was no secret in Konoha that Iruka was admired by many for his good looks and high position. Iruka was as normal as possible, of average weight and height, his only noticeable physical feature being the horizontal scar on his face. He had long brown hair that, when loosed from its tight ponytail, hung down past his shoulders, making Iruka look more feminine than some women Naruto knew. Quite and respectful, a gentle bookworm, Iruka was brilliant with children, one of the many reasons he was so popular with everyone in the village, even those in the roughest parts of Demon's End. Though he never lost his rather short temper with kids, Naruto had been on the receiving end of Iruka's patented 'Scary Voice' and had experienced how well it worked at making even the rowdiest kid obey without question and do whatever Iruka said.

Iruka was the exact opposite of Konoha's mindset. While Konoha was fierce prejudices against anyone who didn't conform to her rigid rules, regulations and philosophy, Iruka was open and welcoming to everyone. He cared for the outcasts, the underdogs, the unappreciated --- all those Konoha viewed as weak. Iruka made them feel special, like they were worth something. Iruka helped, encouraged, and protected them, giving each individual exactly what he or she needed: a kind word or a pat on the back, someone to tell them they mattered, and sometimes, a hard slap to break a cycle of self-loathing or despair. Naruto, rejected even in Demon's End, had eventually found Iruka, who had since become a driving force in his life, an unwavering pillar of support and hopefulness in the middle of a sea of harsh biases.

Tonight, Iruka was dressed casually: a blue-grey t-shirt underneath a navy zip-up jacket, with black pants and matching shoes. A sky-blue hair tie pulled his hair back in its customary ponytail, keeping it from being trapped beneath the strap of his satchel, black in color, with the official logo of Konoha's government: a yellow circle with a silver Konoha leaf symbol outlined in black against the backdrop of red flames. On the shoulder strap, the logo for the Konoha Department of Education was printed. The DE's symbol was exactly like the government's, a yellow circle with a Konoha leaf at its center, only the flames inside the circle were blue instead of red.

"Just think of how wonderful it will feel to be Released, Naruto-sama." Kakashi murmured, wandering over to flop down on Naruto's sagging loveseat. Naruto and Iruka followed him, Naruto taking the armchair and Kakashi moving to let Iruka sit next to him.

"Sometimes, that thought is the only thing keeping me from snapping my instructors' brittle necks." Naruto held up his hands against Iruka's glare. "Not you, Iruka-sama, never you. I doubt Kakashi-san would let me near you if I even _thought_ about hurting you."

"Forgive my rudeness, Naruto-sama, but damn straight I'd keep you away. I may be less in tails, but it is my duty to protect Iruka-sama." Naruto's smile was one of pride and happiness. Iruka blushed profusely, ever modest.

Perhaps that was what appealed to Naruto so much about his brown-haired friend. While Iruka was the exemplar of human kindness, he was forever humble, never letting praise go to his head. He didn't care about the opinions of others, but continued to do what he felt was right.

"Naruto-sama, Kakashi-san, I'm sure you are both just tired, speaking like that."

"Maa, Iruka-sama, you are too modest. Anyone who knows you would fight to keep you safe." Kakashi said lazily. Naruto agreed with the Jounin; he could name five people off the top of his head that would willingly die to protect Iruka, Kakashi and himself included.

---

The three of them talked a while longer, discussing the latest riot in Demon's End, which had started over the price of a rabbit, and had left two kids and the stall's owner dead. If that wasn't bad enough, no one really cared, not even those who knew the victims personally.

Death was no stranger to Demon's End. No, with so many people together with drugs and alcohol within an arm's reach, the lowest level of Konoha was a pit that brought out the worst of human nature: indulgence, greed, and particularly the tendency towards aggression. Violence of all degrees was so common, seen practically every moment of the day and the night, that the people of Demon's End were immune to its horrors. They didn't pay attention when a child's scream or a gunshot rang in the air, tuning out the grunts of nearby fights, not noticing the sound of blood splashing to the ground or spattering on the walls. It wasn't the fault of the people in Demon's End, really, but that of the upper classes; the nobles refused to acknowledge that the lower classes were humans, not just servants, beggars or annoying warmongers, and the government did little to protect the lower classes should someone be wrongly accused, imprisoned or killed.

Eager to forget the depressing subject, they switched topics.

"So, Naruto-sama, taken in any dogs worth a coin?"

"No, Kakashi-san, not yet. The dogs here are fighters all too much. Their want for blood overpowers any loyalty to master." Kakashi's mask twitched, so Naruto assumed he was frowning, though he couldn't be sure.

"Hm. A place where even the dogs will turn on their masters is not a place destined for greatness." The Jounin said prophetically. Naruto nodded. Kakashi wasn't named 'Hound' without a reason: the silver-haired man had a talent for dogs, just like Iruka had a talent with kids. The most seasoned fighter would probably roll over and let you pet its belly if Kakashi was nearby. His gift for making dogs obey him was practically useless, however; dogs were on the list of the 'unclean' animals listed in the Book of Triumphs because they were related to foxes, the leading 'unclean' animal.

"I've heard that there's a clan that breeds the dogs. Maybe if you find a pup it won't be so inclined to betrayal."

"Who? The Inuzuka? Nah, their dogs are the most infamous fighters in Demon's End. Only the dogs personally trained by the family members are loyal, and even then their loyalties are with the one that trained them and no other."

"I don't know, Naruto-sama. There might be hope for them yet." Iruka commented, folding his hands behind his head.

A small whirlwind of dust started to form in the middle of the room, growing larger as it spun faster and faster. The sight of it caused Iruka to groan and look desperately at the ceiling, as if asking it, "Could you collapse on me, please?"

"If I've told him once I've told him a thousand times to keep himself hidden!" Naruto laughed at Iruka's apparent despair.

"Iruka-sama, at least Gaara-san is unafraid to hide himself like the rest of us are forced to. I admire that in him, even if it is a bit stupid for our current situation."

"How kind of you to say that, Naruto-sama." Naruto didn't even jump when Gaara's voice sounded behind him. He titled his head back to look at the redhead upside-down.

Gaara was another of Naruto's strange group of friends. He was naturally pale, which made heavily outlined eyes stand out all the more, his burgundy hair looking like a tongue of fire branching out in all directions. Tall and wiry, much like Kakashi was, Gaara dressed in black pants, a black shirt with navy designs on the sleeves and hem, a sandy-brown jacket, and sandals. Pouches hung from the brown belt around his waist, filled with something unknown; Gaara never went anywhere without the pouches and didn't care to explain what was in them or why he refused to leave them behind. The tattoo above his left eye, the ancient character for 'love', was red and made him stick out in a crowd as much as his fiery hair did.

He was quiet and calm in a deadly, unnerving way, and only spoke when he wanted to, not responding if he felt talking to someone was beneath his dignity. He had qualms about killing anyone he found annoying, which was most of the population. Naruto, with his colorful vocabulary and loud mouth, should have been at the top of Gaara's 'To Kill' list, but he treated the blonde with a surprising degree of tolerance.

"Hey, Gaara-san. What's up?" Gaara gave a scary little smile, which somehow made him look older than his fifteen-year old self.

"Not much, Naruto-sama."

"Well, I guess if you'd done anything, we'd have heard it on the news, so I suppose that's a good thing." Naruto saw Gaara's eyes narrow and almost sighed. Gaara was quite sensitive, despite his 'I-don't-care-get-in-my-way-and-die' attitude, but only let this aspect of his nature show around those he called his friends.

"Hey now! Just 'cause you go a bit overboard when you want a bit of excitement doesn't mean it's not fun. Hell, you're loads of fun, Gaara." Gaara relaxed. "But, we need you to keep a low profile until it's time to act." Gaara nodded after a moment of deliberation. Though he hadn't said anything, Naruto knew Gaara would obey and not draw further attention to himself. Gaara had the ability to figuratively 'dissolve', becoming as much a part of the room as much as a chair was, making him excellent at gathering information because people would overlook him, forget he was there, and say things they wouldn't say to his face.

"Naruto-sama, I've been meaning to ask, what's the real reason you helped Konohamaru?" Kakashi asked offhandedly.

"I told you, his old man was beating up on him and felt like stepping in." Naruto couldn't see Kakashi raise an eyebrow disbelievingly; rather, the man practically radiated curiosity. Kakashi was as inquisitive as they came, going to great lengths to satisfy his questions.

"I thought cat's were supposed to be curious, not wolves." Naruto joked. "I don't know why I helped him. I guess I just didn't like how his drunk of a father confused tailed beasts with demons."

"Well, we are classified as demons, Naruto-sama," Iruka said, sounding like the wise teacher he was. "More intelligent and powerful, yes, but still demons. Us Nine just happen to be of different origins than most demons."

"Divine origin, yeah, I know. I just didn't like it. We shouldn't have to put up with that sort of theology." Naruto sighed. "Doesn't matter; the man's probably drunk himself to death, anyway."

"Probably." Gaara agreed, still standing behind Naruto, as if he were the boy's shadow. Iruka looked at the nearby window, feeling the moon's position in his bones.

"Kakashi-san, we'd better be going. Curfew is in three minutes and you know how happy the Chunins here are to 'escort' people home." Kakashi stood silently, waiting for Iruka to say goodbye to Naruto and Gaara before going outside. They disappeared into the shadows; Naruto locked the window behind them, knowing Gaara could get out whenever he wanted.

"Excuse me, Gaara-san, but I'm beat. Help yourself to the FCU. I'm sure I've got something you'll like in there."

"Thank you, Naruto-sama." Gaara muttered, going over to the long white box, which was humming slightly, hidden under the kitchen counter. The FCU, or 'Freezing-Cooling Unit', had replaced the old-fashioned refrigerators ages ago, keeping food colder and fresher for longer.

Gaara squatted on the balls of his feet, opened the horizontal door of the FCU, and started rummaging around while Naruto stripped off his street clothes and changed into his nightwear: a pair of black boxers and a white shirt with an orange spiral in the center. Gaara gave Naruto an amused look. Naruto glanced down at himself, and smirked.

He was muscled from laboring in the garage, and his nightclothes hung from his lanky form, making him look smaller than he really was. As he tugged down his shirt, his eyes caught sight of a scar, unusually pale against his tanned skin, on his abdomen, an old stab wound from several years ago.

Scars littered his body from various bullet wounds and knife stabs, some received by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, like the incident with the Rage man, or because another party had been involved. Naruto's back and right shoulder were covered with the scars from when a gang had decided to make him join; when Naruto had refused, they had repaid him with the beating of his life, smashing bottles over his back. Naruto absentmindedly rubbed his hands together, shivering at the memory of glass slicing deep into his palms as he clenched his fists against the agony of his back.

"I like the nightcap, Naruto-sama." Gaara said, dead serious. Naruto grinned, forcing the dark thoughts away, and playfully swatted at the other teen with said nightcap, a faded orange cap with fox ears sticking up and a fox's face embroidered on the front.

"Night, Gaara-san." Naruto said with a yawn, snuggling down into his usual soft orange blanket and wrapping his arms around the cushion he used as a pillow.

"Sleep well, Naruto-sama."

---

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Hope you liked it!

I tried to make it as long as the last chapter without loosing description. For me, description is what makes a good story great; it lets you experience the places as if you were there, and makes you feel as if the characters are real people who you could meet in the street and talk to face-to-face.

Anyway, I'm really happy that people are reading my story and reviewing. It makes me want to continue writing when I know people are actually _interested_. Thank you so much for your support.

PS -- don't worry if this chapter was confusing at first. It's supposed to be that way.


	6. Chapter 6: Just Another Day

Naruto was a morning person.

Not by the habit of an alarm clock waking him up early every day until he automatically got up at the set time; no, he was a morning person by some sadistic twist of fate. Every day at exactly 5:02 am, Naruto would roll over in his sleep, falling off his couch, his head hitting the floor. Thus, he awoke, in pain and grumbling about the unfairness of the universe. Why he rolled over at 5:02 in the morning, Naruto couldn't say; he was usually asleep at the time.

But, just because he wasn't sleeping didn't mean he was all sunshine and smiles, like a natural morning person is. Naruto lingered in a fog, half-awake and half-asleep, incapable of speaking, unable to understand anything that was said to him, slightly cross-eyed and grouchy until he had a shower. Seeing as Demon's End didn't have hot water, his shower was freezing cold. The bed right next to the bathroom's wall, Konohamaru awoke to hear this lovely mangled stream of curses and growls coming through the thin walls:

"Fragroshitydamnmotherbastardgranafuck!"

Konohamaru shrugged and went back to sleep, all too used to the words. His old man could have been a sailor the way he swore, so Konohamaru had learned to simply be quiet and let the oftentimes drunk man swear, rant, rave and vent until he passed out.

Naruto stumbled from the bathroom, hole-ridden towel wrapped around his waist. He grabbed his normal clothes from where they lay, strewn around the living room, and changed in the middle of his kitchen, not caring that Gaara was there making coffee. Avoiding the sight of a very naked Naruto, Gaara continued his staring contest, 'contest' here read 'clashing duel of honor and pride', with the coffeemaker, which, despite not having eyes or a face for that matter, somehow glared back with matching ferocity.

To say Gaaara the Naruto's apartment got on well would have been a gross irony, as well as the last thing you uttered before Gaara disemboweled you. Gaara and technology in general didn't get along as a rule, but even in Naruto's apartment, where everything was either ancient and outdated crap rescued from the junkyard and rebuilt, the redhead was met with resentment from nearly every appliance, the FCU being the only thing that wasn't out to kill, disembowel, or at least (very) badly maim, Gaara.

While the dishwasher was pretty active in its attempts on Gaara's life, it was the coffeemaker who took first place in Gaara's 'must kill' list. It didn't like people in general, but particularly loathed Gaara, trying its hardest to burn him with scalding coffee, growling threateningly whenever he tried to approach it.

"Forgive my rudeness, Naruto-sama, but why-!" Gaara started to say. Naruto shut him up with a glare.

"Kid's here, so kill the honorifics, Gaara." Gaara sighed.

"Naruto-sa," He forced himself to omit the 'sama' he knew he should say. But he also knew if the kid heard him using honorifics, Gaara would have to kill him. And Naruto seemed pretty attached to the child already, so it was in Gaara's own best interest to do as Naruto said. The blonde was scary when he got mad.

"Why'd you buy this piece of crap?" Gaara asked. He wasn't much for swearing, unlike Naruto, but with the 'satanic machine' as he called the coffeemaker, he made an exception. Naruto gave said machine an affectionate pat and grinned.

"Because it has a personality, Gaara. And you can't replace personality, even if the coffee is supposed to taste better with the new things." The coffeemaker objected to this insult, spitting out boiling-hot coffee. Naruto avoided the attack, scolding it as if it were a child.

"Hey, now, don't do that. I said '_if'_. I wasn't implying the new coffeemakers were _better_, just repeating what other people have said. There's no need to get upset." The coffeemaker gave one last grumble and started making coffee. While it despised Gaara, the machine adored Naruto, who had found it in the trash, brought it home and put it to use. For this second chance at life, it obeyed the blonde.

"So, going to school?" Gaara didn't like technology, but that didn't mean he didn't think it was useful. New ways to kill people always made him happy, and Konoha was the world's leader in weapons.

"Yup. Got lessons with Iruka, and he'd kill me if I skipped today. Besides, I like Iruka's class." Iruka taught World History, the one class that Naruto actually paid attention in even though he knew everything already. Gaara nodded, then reached over to brush Naruto's shoulder with his hand.

"You had some sand on you." He said, answering Naruto's silent question.

"Thanks, Gaara."

"What about the kid?"

"Who, Konohamaru? I was thinking of booting him out for the day. I'm sure he has somewhere to go."

"Getting rid of me so soon, bastard?" Konohamaru asked, emerging from the bedroom, glaring at Naruto.

"What the hell are you doing up?" Naruto glanced at his microwave, and read the numbers displayed on its cracked screen. 5: 43 am. "It's too early for you. I'd expect it from Gaara, but not from a kid." Konohamaru noticed Gaara for the first time.

"Who's he?" Konohamaru demanded, preparing himself for a fight. His old man's 'friends' had usually beaten him up for entertainment if the booze wasn't taking effect quick enough. He didn't dare think that Naruto's friends would be any better.

"Oh, this is Gaara, a friend of mine. He comes over a lot." Konohamaru shrugged. Like it mattered to him who Naruto had over.

"So, getting rid of me?"

"Nah. I just don't trust you here alone. You can come back at night, if you want." Naruto knew better than to say, "Come back tonight." The people of Demon's End, though the poorest of the poor and the most violent, were still proud and didn't accept help easily. They also didn't take orders well unless they were working as servants.

Konohamaru's eyes widened. He had expected Naruto to kick him back onto the street, beat him up and then toss him out. Any of those things he could have taken. But to offer him a place to stay? It was unheard of. Why the hell would anyone want _him_? He was weak, a dead weight. He couldn't steal without getting caught, was too impatient to spy on people. He was barely eleven, and couldn't fight very well. Overall, he was useless. He was shaken out of his self-pity and hate by Naruto steering him over to the barstools on the other side of the kitchen counter.

"Sit tight, kid, and I'll get ya something to eat." Naruto paused and looked over his shoulder at Konohamaru. "If you're hungry, that is." Konohamaru nodded. It was better not to reject the offer of free food.

---

Naruto changed into his Citadel clothes at the arch of Demon's End as usual and hurried through Upper City to reach the Citadel as fast as possible. He made it to school just a minute before the doors locked at 7:00 am sharp; the Citadel did not approve of lateness. He raced down the hall at a quick jog, grabbing his laptop out of his locker on his way to the main lecture hall.

Sitting through the morning reading from the Book of Triumphs with his usual impatience, he allowed his mind to wander to what Iruka would be teaching that day. They were doing the Wave nation this month, and, due to their conversation the night before, Naruto was sure Iruka talk about the Mist Islands. He tried not to run out of the lecture hall, eager to see his friend.

_Just my luck_. He thought sarcastically. _I just _-had-_ to bump into __**him**__, didn't I? _

"Well, well, look who it is." A familiar voice sneered, dripping with venom.

"Morning to you, too, Sasuke." Iruka had drilled it into Naruto that if you didn't like someone, you were still civil to them, even if they were a complete asshole. Like Sasuke.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, brushing past Naruto without another word. Naruto bit his tongue to stop himself from hurling insults at his classmate.

(1) Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha's current child protégé, was only a month older than Naruto, but already acted like an adult. He was the younger brother of the very wealthy and greatly feared Uchiha Itachi, who was head of the largest energy company in Konoha. He was twig-like, thin and bony, like he didn't eat as much as he should. But Naruto had been punched by Sasuke in the past and knew that the black-haired boy was not lacking in physical strength, just as he wasn't lacking when it came to looks. Sasuke had short black hair that stuck up at the back, making him look like he had been electrocuted; the bangs that framed his face only made his porcelain skin seem paler and highlighted his onyx eyes. His hairstyle had earned him the unusually polite nickname 'duck-butt' from Naruto.

Sasuke always acted like something was shoved up his ass, and had brooding and glaring down to art forms, able to effectively scare away anyone who _dared_ enter his 'personal space' bubble. He got along well with adults, but had no social skills with those of his own age. Sasuke was both despised and envied. Despised because of his 'holier-than-thou' attitude, and envied because of his immense wealth, social position, and intelligence, not to mention the fact that nearly every girl of marriageable age and noble status adored him.

As a young High noble (2), Sasuke was the most sought-after bachelor in Konoha despite his brother's objections, with everything a noble family wanted. Naruto, on the other hand, was, to hear noble women talk among themselves, a 'good-looking boy but much too wild' for any girl to marry. Naruto admitted that he was loud-mouthed, and got into scuffles with Sasuke every now and again, but _wild_? He'd always been very careful when fighting Sasuke, cautious not to reveal anything unusual other than the ability to always land on his feet. _Wild, they say?_ They didn't know the half of it.

A pink-haired girl pushed Naruto aside, calling out to Sasuke: Haruno Sakura (3). Sakura, one of the few non-engaged girls, was the daughter of a noble-merchant family who ran the designer clothing store, _Haruno_. Because her family worked for a living, her social position was lower than Sasuke's, hers being of 'Low noble' as opposed to 'High noble', it had been expected that Sakura would marry a Low noble. However, Haruno clothes were very popular and the business had become very lucrative, so the High nobles had suggested an arranged marriage between Sasuke and Sakura. Itachi had used his position as Sasuke's guardian, and flat-out refused to see his brother married before the age of twenty, reminding the other High nobles that it was an 'Uchiha tradition' (4). Realizing their error, the nobles had apologized and dropped the matter. Itachi was three years older than Sasuke, and a promising heir to the Uchiha clan, so, as Uchiha tradition dictated, Fugaku, Sasuke and Itachi's father and current head of the family, could not have objected to Itachi's decision if he'd wanted to. Sasuke was under his brother's care, and Itachi had every right to do as he saw fit (5).

Sakura was aptly named, as she was quite pretty, and, unlike most girls, she had green eyes She had a good figure, with long legs and curves in all the right places, her skin slightly tanned. Other girls laughed at her for her large forehead, which never failed to make Sakura blush, but Naruto didn't think it was a bad feature. In a white, long-sleeved collared shirt under a dark grey sweater-vest with a dark grey skirt, the female's Citadel uniform, Sakura was easy to spot in a crowd, her hair like a beacon of springtime in a sea of grey. Naruto didn't know if Sakura dyed her shoulder-length locks, but he couldn't believe that it was a _natural_ color. He had laughed until he couldn't breathe when he had thought about what Sasuke's kids would look like with rosy hair, should the color be genetically passed on. He had fun imagining Sasuke's infamous 'death glare' coming from a pink-haired three year old.

Sakura wore little jewelry, only a bracelet and a necklace, compared to other 'unclaimed' girls (6). Her bracelet was a band of gold about half an inch wide with round, soft pink pearls set into the metal, and the necklace was customary of noble girls: a thin silver chain with the family's insignia in a pendant. (7) The Haruno family's emblem was, simply, a white circle, so Sakura's pendant was a ring of white against a red background.

The pink-haired girl was very, very smart, ranking third in the class; she _enjoyed_ memorizing things and liked learning. She was also quite bossy because she knew so much and therefore thought she knew better than other people. Her 'helpful advice' was given freely and often to those who didn't want it. Her rise in rank made Sakura quite self-conscious, and to combat her awkwardness, she had become quite violent to those of a lower status. Her old friends had withstood her abrupt mood swings at first, grown tired of her out-of-the-blue fits of rage, and all but abandoned her.

Naruto didn't understand the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura viewed the dark-haired Uchiha as the perfect man, the 'strong, silent type' who just needed the right woman to come along. Sakura thought she was that woman, even though she had yet to turn eighteen, and that Sasuke was too shy to confess his undying love for her, because she was certain those were his sentiments exactly. She thought that once Itachi agreed to let them marry, Sasuke would open up, drop his entire 'angsty-emo' guise, and bear all his troubles and fears to her in a pathetically romantic manner in the light of a full moon, and then they would kiss, and it would be wonderful, and they would live happily ever after…

_**Yeah right**_. Like that was going to happen.

Sasuke was too attached to his 'I'm-a-bastard-and-proud-of-it' attitude and the never-ending affections of one girl wasn't going to inspire an about-face. Naruto was almost certain that Sasuke was just as prideful and cold in private as he was in public. The Uchiha had been raised as a High noble, so he was a master of smooth flattery and meaningless compliments designed to create a false feeling of safety and equality in others. Whatever words passed Sasuke's lips were probably lies or meant to hurt. Naruto had learned long ago not to trust anything a noble said, for they all had silver tongues with double edges.

Naruto listened to Sakura chatter away about trivial things, like her mother was designing a new line of clothing, how their shipment of Earth nation silk was late, and did he like her hair tie? Sasuke didn't bother to reply, merely grunting and trying to walk faster. Sakura then started complaining that Sasuke wasn't even _looking_ at her.

To head her off from a rant about the future marriage, something Sasuke was intent on making sure never became a reality, and to avoid the 'is this what I'm going to have to put up with?' speech, one he was unlucky enough to have memorized, Sasuke thought quickly. He took Sakura's hand in his, kissed the back of it (8), and said, "You look fine, Sakura."

This had the effect Sasuke desired. Sakura giggled, looking away and blushing, then became quiet, content to walk with Sasuke.

Naruto watched the exchange with jealousy and a bit of disgust. Sasuke only complimented Sakura to shut her up, and she _still_ liked him! Couldn't she see he didn't even acknowledge her as anything more than an annoying classmate?

Naruto rolled his eyes, and followed the pair to Iruka's classroom, a smaller version of the large lecture hall, with windows on the left wall. The Hokage's shrine was the same, just as towering and impressive, but it wasn't the focus of the room. On the first day of classes, Iruka had decided that staring at the shrine was not conductive to learning and had promptly rearranged everything. The desks still faced the shrine, but the chairs faced the right wall, where there was a large screen; Iruka had moved his desk to the right of the screen so he could lecture better and catch people who weren't paying attention.

Naruto took his place near the front and waited for class to begin.

---

He didn't have to wait long. Kakashi entered the room first, scanning for threats and weapons, as always. Iruka entered a few moments later, a notebook crammed with papers under his arm, satchel flopping against his hip at he walked. They both looked different, more formal and commanding, in their uniforms.

Kakashi wore black pants, black shoes, a navy-blue turtleneck underneath a thick green vest, and metal-plated gloves. His headband and mask were in place, and his hair was, if anything, wilder than usual. He had an air of calmness about him, but everyone knew it was only for show; Kakashi was always alert and ready to spring into action at a second's notice. He took his duty of protecting Iruka very seriously, and didn't care if it was against regulations to threaten people with unusually cruel deaths. Anyone who came within ten feet of Iruka would suddenly be very aware of Kakashi's presence and instantly knew not to even _think_ about trying anything. Kakashi had that effect on people, and it served him well.

Iruka was in his Instructor's outfit: black shoes and pants, a white collared shirt with long sleeves, and a dark grey jacket with the DE's logo on the left shoulder. His hair was pulled back in its tight ponytail; his bangs were short enough to escape the hair tie, but long enough to flop into his face. He brushed the strands away unconsciously. Iruka didn't bother stopping Kakashi from pacing the perimeter of the room, checking for possible danger, but began taking roll as he always did, checking off each student's name with the pencil he had tucked behind his ear.

"OK, class, today we're continuing our lecture on the Land of the Waves, so get out your computers and sign in." The students did as they were told, logging into the Academy's wireless network, which was 'protected' by the System. Iruka logged in as well and brought up the slideshow of pictures for the day's lesson.

"As we have already discussed, the Wave nation is the leader in water purification and sea-based technology. Can anyone tell me the name of it's most famous achievement?" Sakura, sitting one row above Sasuke, raised her hand at once. Naruto also raised his hand.

"Naruto, think you know?" Naruto grinned, getting to his feet.

"Sure. The Baleine."

"Good, Naruto. Can you tell me what it's function is?"

"The Baleine is a high-tech machine that is used to explore the ocean floor. Modeled after the diving abilities of whales, the Baleine can withstand pressures that would crush any other deep-sea vehicle. While its main purpose is for research and exploration, Baleines can also be used during wartime for transporting supplies, weapons, or soldiers without being detected. They can also be used as a safe place during extreme natural disasters or an evacuation situation. There are only five in operation because they are so expensive to construct." Iruka nodded his approval as Naruto sat back down, his classmates staring at him like they'd never seen him before.

"That was excellent, Naruto. Very thorough. Now," He turned to look at the screen behind him. "picking up where we left off last week, you'll remember that it is thanks to the Wave nation's research and experimentation that farmers are blessed with the most efficient irrigation system developed so far…" Naruto leant back in his seat, happy that he had answered correctly. He began taking notes, eager to learn more about the country Zabuza had picked as the starting ground for his war.

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Wow, lots of notes for this chapter. Please review, and tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I could do better, etc. It doesn't even have to be that much! A simple 'I like/love/hate it' will do (though longer reviews are also welcome and encouraged). _Anything_!

-Ahem- Sorry about that little outburst. Again, I tried to move the story along without loosing description. I've been playing around with layout, so I don't know how this will turn out. I still can't insert the line-break things properly, but dashes work well enough.

I had originally planned to have Sakura as just another fan of Sasuke, but while I don't really like Sakura in general (she's _**so**_ annoying in the beginning of both manga and the show), I did want her in the fic. She is a central part of the series, and I cannot exclude her or replace her with an original character. Besides, Sakura's easy to write because she's a lot like someone I know in real life. If you don't like her, don't worry: she's probably not going to show up very often.

Sasuke, as I hope I made clear, is _**NOT**_ interested in Sakura. I wanted to show how rank means everything to nobles, and having a possible engagement was the easiest way to do so. Sakura is naive enough to think that Sasuke will change because of her, but not ignorant of the fact that she's of a lesser rank than him and that if she does marry him in the future, it will mean everything to the status of her family.

If you do want pairings, let me know. Ask me nicely and I might consider it.

If you like the story, please tell me. This is my first-ever Naruto fanfiction, so feedback on how I'm doing will help me to write a better story. Thank you for reading, and, again, _**please review**_.

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**Notes:**

(1) The Uchihas are the second oldest clan in Konoha after the Hyuugas, 'oldest' meaning they existed before the fox. Their physical characteristics are black hair, black eyes and very pale skin. The Uchihas are one of the few clans originally from the Fire continent, unlike the Hyuugas, who originated from the Islands of Mist and immigrated to the Fire nation. They are a clan of formal procedures and rules dating back to the Feudal era, and despite modern time changes, remain firm in those traditions.

--

(2) High nobles are clans of nobles whose wealth is from inheritance instead of business. To prevent 'bad blood', there is a tradition that High nobles must approve of a marriage between a High noble and a Low noble. The position of High noble can be given to Low nobles if those select few have done something very remarkable for Konoha. Examples of High nobles: the Hyuuga clan, and the Uchihas. Examples of Low nobles given the position of High noble: the Aburame clan, and the Nara clan. Low nobles are those of wealthy families who earn their money through overseas trade, the weapon industry, research or other businesses. Examples of Low nobles: the Harunos, and the Akimichis. This position can be earned through profitable business.

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(3) This isn't really a note but a mini-essay on Haruno Sakura. I personally don't like her, but she can be an interesting or a very flat character. It depends on how you look at her. If you look at her personality, she's very vain, too cheerful, bossy, hot-tempered, and not very nice at times. However, Sakura is the most _human_ character of the Naruto cast, someone you can relate to in real life. She has had a normal upbringing with parents who support her, and takes her family for granted. She has had a best friend and lost her because of a petty rivalry over a crush. Sakura has been teased because of her large forehead, and is as self-consciousness as any other kid or teenager. She wants love, having heard fairy tales of princesses and knights in shining armor, but has never been in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship before, and doesn't know quiet how to react to her first crush. She conforms to the stereotype of a 'nice' girl, someone who is always nice, always considerate, and always polite even if she feels differently inside. I believe that we are getting too politically correct, so afraid of offending anyone or raising a fuss that we often ignore our real opinion and say what is _supposed_ to be said, not what is _needed_ to be said. Thus, I have grown to tolerate Sakura. I still don't really like her, but I do think that most people, if not everyone, has an 'inner being', a part of us that is unafraid of chastisement, committed to our real opinions, and loyal to our heart and emotions.

--

(4) In Konoha, the legal age of adulthood is eighteen. Noble children are anticipated to marry their partner from their arranged marriage soon after they become adults. The Uchihas are unusual in that they have the tradition of waiting until both males and female Uchihas are twenty before allowing any talk of marriage. It is said that this gives the children time to become recognized in the clan's eyes, which disregard members if they do not contribute by accomplishing something. Uchiha Itachi, for example, became head of his company, and is thus recognized as a full-fledged Uchiha by his clan.

--

(5) Another of the Uchiha traditions is placing the youngest male under the oldest male and the youngest female under the eldest female's care. This is so the younger child will learn the mannerisms and traditions of the Uchihas learning by simply observing the older child, naturally imitating the elder and thus preserving the honor and reputation of the clan.

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(6) To nobles of any rank, marriage is one of the high points of life. However, because marriage can promote a family's status, multiple measures are taken to guarantee the marriage goes through. In Konoha, when a girl is engaged, she stops wearing a lot of jewelry so men will be less likely to notice her. This is to keep the girl focused on her fiancée, ensuring that the marriage won't be canceled because she fell in love with another man. It is considered bad luck to take your engagement ring off, as it was thought that this action would nullify the engagement and future marriage. At the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom take off each other's engagement rings and replace them with the actual wedding rings, symbolizing the cutting of all ties to past boyfriends/girlfriends and devotion to the husband/wife.

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(7) Nobles, High or Low, are very proud of their clan heritage and it is common, almost expected, for the children of the clan to wear something bearing the clan insignia at all times. Boys usually have an armband or wristband with their clan's emblem on it, while girls wear a necklace with the clan's logo as a pendant. In the wedding ceremony, the male removes the girl's necklace and replaces it with one bearing his clan's symbol, showing that the girl has left her family and joined his.

--

(8) This is a High noble custom when greeting a lady, repeated when departing. It is not a sign of love, devotion or any emotion at all. It dates back to pre-fox times, when Shinobi were the main fighters of Konoha instead of technologically advanced weaponry. Nobles, constantly afraid of assassination attempts, believed that an honorable person would never attack a woman. Therefore, it became tradition to kiss the lady's hand to show the stranger meant no harm, as well as giving the nobles time to detect hidden weapons.

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	7. Chapter 7: Of Death and Seals

Naruto was slightly surprised to find Konohamaru sitting on the first step of his fire escape. He did a double take when he saw that Konohamaru was not alone, as he had first thought. Two other kids, a boy and a girl, both Konohamaru's age, stood behind the black-haired punk, looking nervous and ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. Konohamaru was short for his age, but the kids behind him were even smaller.

"Hiya, Boss!" Konohamaru said, getting to his feet when Naruto approached.

"Hey, Konohamaru. What's up?" The kid shrugged.

"Not much." He seemed to remember the pair behind him all of a sudden. "Oh, yeah, this is Moegi and this is Udon."

The girl, Moegi, had hair that stuck straight out of her head, tied up in two bunches. Her face had lost its baby fat, strained by hardship, making her look older than she really was. Her cheeks had red paint on them, and her face was too pale to be natural; she had obviously been part of a brothel until recently, learning how to seduce men from the older girls. She would probably survive if she went back to the brothel, begged to work, and learned to do the others' makeup until she was old enough to earn her keep; she was too inexperienced to do much more.

Udon, the boy, looked ill, his nose runny, and he squinted like he needed glasses. His face, like Moegi's, was too thin for his age, childhood fat drained. Naruto sighed. _Konohamaru sure knows how to pick friends_, he thought sarcastically. Udon was practically dead already; there was no way any Pack would let a weakling like him live (1).

"Konohamaru?"

"Yeah?" Konohamaru looked so hopeful that Naruto couldn't bear the idea of telling him his friends were useless to him.

"…Never mind." Naruto said, brushing past the trio. They followed him up the stairs and into the apartment. _He'll find out soon enough._

Udon didn't last the night.

His was not a quiet death. Every breath made him gasp and clutch his chest as his body slowly shut down, weak lungs collapsing bit by bit. It was painful to watch, but Konohamaru or Moegi, frozen by the sight of their friend dying, couldn't tear their eyes away. When Udon's labored breathing faded and his heart gave one last desperate attempt to contine beating, Moegi ran and vomited into the toilet while Konohamaru silently stare at Udon's still form.

"Be glad it wasn't contagious, or we'd all be dead." Naruto told him, putting Udon's body over his shoulder. He moved to go out the window. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Where are you going with him?" Konohamaru demanded, his face screwing up in anger. Naruto smiled at the kid.

"To dispose of the body, of course. Think I'm going to let it rot in my kitchen?"

"Udon's not an 'it'!" Now Konohamaru was fighting back tears.

"Kid, Udon't gone. All that's left is the body." Konohamaru didn't respond. "Udon's gone, and he isn't coming back." With that, Naruto disappeared outside, swallowed by the rapidly lengthening shadows of twilight. He traveled towards the setting sun. On his way home, arms free of Udon's body, he leapt to the roof of an abandoned building, stopping just to admire the stained beauty of the skies.

The atmosphere seemed to smile and forget the poison created by human hands seeping into vast expanses, kindly offering hope to the poor creatures mulling below if only they would glance upwards. Even as the sky cradled the silently blazing sun in its unending folds, softly blushing a rosy hue, the pollution-soaked clouds that hovered, ever-present above Demon's End, shimmered gold. Those struggling clouds, so silkily bright they appeared as oil on water, reminded all who bothered to spare a moment for the sky that the nature of the world and that of the human race had yet to find perfect harmony, human hands slowly soiling all they touched.

As Naruto stood, watching, the sun dipped even lower on the horizon. The bright start's light threaded through the petal-soft embrace and set the entire sky on fire. The sight of the sun, trying in vain to catch the attention of artists, poets and lovers, any who would gaze upon its glowing rims and appreciate its beauty, made Naruto smile. He was reminded of the legend of creation told at school.

In the legend, the world, created out of love by an unknown force, and gave birth to two beings: the sun and the moon. The sun created humans and animals, and the moon created demons; the two rulers agreed to keep the three races equal in power and intelligence. The legend said that the power the moon had bestowed upon demons corrupted the creatures, and they began attacking humans. To protect his people, the sun blessed the humans with intelligence enough to outwit the demons. Angered by her brother's betrayal, the moon cursed all those created by the sun with short lives, then fled into the sky, her grief dimming the heavens to black. Fearing for his creations, the sun chased the moon, brightening everything she darkened and restoring all to its original glory. This cycle of death and restoration, the legend says, continues, the day making everything good, the night undoing all the day's work.

Konoha no longer taught that the sun and moon were gods who controlled the universe, opting instead for a scientific explanation, but the legend was still very popular with the elderly; grandparents told the legend to the grandchildren who couldn't understand technical terms.

It was complete and utter _**crap**_. Naruto knew for a fact that the legend was wrong.

The legend was written by a human after the fox attack, and was thus destined to show humans as the exemplar of creation and biased against demons, making them out to be the scum of the earth and the most evil things imaginable. Its writer would never _dream_ of showing demons from a viewpoint other than, 'All demons deserve to die.' Naruto couldn't really blame the man; right after the fox, Konoha was reeling from the attack, shocked and angry that the village had almost been wiped out, eager to destroy anything related to the creature that had threatened its existence. Regardless of class or lineage, the people of Konoha wanted all demons dead, and didn't care how the deaths happened or who killed them. Authors were ordered to show human triumph over demonkind in their works, and the 'legend of creation' had been the most popular. Naruto didn't like the legend, but respected it nonetheless and knew better than to challenge it in its birthplace of Konoha.

Naruto, the other Sacred Nine, and demons knew the _real_ story of creation, but if humanity wanted to tell itself a lie, who were they to say differently? Demons were in hiding, and in no position to argue against the ideas of humans. After the attack on Konoha, humans grew fearful and cautious of demons, rejecting them from cities and villages. Lesser in number, the demons retreated to the wild untamed forests where the wave of human civilization couldn't reach: the Protected Grounds, a vast land guarded by the Sacred Nine and hidden by the gods from human eyes.

While most didn't care about the affairs of humans and felt nothing for the weaker race, there were many who remembered life among the humans, how they had lived before the mass migration to the Protected Grounds. Some were still bristling from the unfairness of their situation, whining to Naruto whenever he took on his furred form. _The humans had made the first move, or had he __**forgotten**_ They would complain, winding about his legs like cats begging for scraps, rubbing their bodies against his as though it would sway his opinion. _They tried to harness your brother's powers, tried to seal his tail inside a human body. The humans are to blame for our misfortunes._ _Why do you not end their pitiful existence?_ _Reveal your wrath to them and they shall surely bend to your will_. Naruto tried his best to placate these angry few. Other demons, particularly those who had fit in well with human society, like the rat demons who had fed off the humans' leftovers, disliked the migration because it meant they had to start catching their own food.

A few demons mourned the loss of human companions and friends. Some dog demons missed the humans they had lived among, recalling the excitement of the hunt with weeping eyes and sad smiles. Surprisingly, considering their standoffish, aloof nature and preference of their own company, some cat demons remembered humans they had liked with fond expressions.

Whenever in the Protected Grounds, Naruto always made sure to stop and visit with one aging cat demon named Ayame. Obaasan, as Naruto affectionately called Ayame, had been the faithful companion of an elderly widow for many years. Ayame told Naruto stories about the woman whenever he visited her. Naruto could almost picture the demon in front of him as he stared out at Demons' End. Ayame would tuck her hindquarters underneath herself, tail flicking lethargically at her front paws, and sit up straight before beginning.

"Oh, my Maemi-san was so good to me! I remember how during our daily walk around the village, you know I used to lead her? Yes, her poor eyes stopped working a few years after her husband died and I had to help her along, the sweet dear. Anyway, during our walk she would always sit down on this one bench beneath a sakura tree. She would pat the bench and let me lie in her lap, and stroke my head and say she was so happy I was with her. I will never forget how good it was to just be there with her, listening to the chatter of the people as they walked by us and feel her fingers on my fur…"

Ayame would stop abruptly and groom her shoulder as though it had forced her away from Maemi-san in the first place. A few minutes later, when her eyes had stopped misting and she wasn't in danger of crying, Ayame would continue with a little cough to clear her throat and start again. Naruto never interrupted his friend.

"And then we would go home in the evening, and Maemi-san would always let me have a little off her place. So kind, my Maemi-san, so kind. Then, when I heard we had to leave, I waited until we were under that tree before speaking. It was the first time I had spoken to her, but she just smiled and nodded. She said that if I had to go, she would miss me terribly and our walks together, but not to worry about her, she would get along. I can still see her, sitting beneath the sakura tree, smiling so prettily. She said that I was to keep the collar, to remember her by. As if I could forget her!"

Here, Ayame would break down into sobs, turning away to hide her face. She always apologized afterwards for her actions, and Naruto didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't necessary to apologize for her emotions. Their conversation started the same way every time he visited even though Ayame wasn't old enough to forget if she'd said something before or not, but Naruto never mentioned it. After this first story, the neko would tell Naruto more stories about Maemi-san and their time together, absentmindedly stroking the thin collar around her furred neck as she spoke.

He always left her home feeling sad that his friend had been forced away from the woman she had obviously loved and cared for, honored at the same time that Ayame trusted him to treasure her memories, happy that Ayame had had such a pleasant life.

Naruto turned away from the sky and continued homeward.

---

When he returned, Moegi and Konohamaru were nowhere to be found. He began the task of disinfecting his entire apartment, feeling bittersweet that Iruka had a meeting and couldn't come over that night. He was unhappy because Iruka was his oldest and most trusted friend, and Naruto missed the doe-eyed man's comforting presence. But he was also glad; Iruka gave his heart too easily, and, despite not knowing Konohamaru's friend very well, would have been heartbroken and depressed for the next week if he'd seen Udon die.

Iruka was precious to Naruto, and Iruka being unhappy was more than he could stand. Naruto would do anything to keep Iruka from being hurt, and knew that Iruka did the same thing to him, trying to protect him from the horrors of the world.

"Need a hand, Naruto-sama?"

"Gaara-san, I didn't think you'd be here so early." Gaara shrugged.

"I was floating and heard your voice. Talking to a Black Trader, Naruto-sama? I nearly killed the man when I had gathered enough for sight."

"I'm glad you didn't, Gaara-san. Otherwise our deal would have been off and I'd be left with a body." This sparked Gaara's interest.

"The kid died?"

"No, Konohamaru's still with us. His friend died, and I didn't want it rotting. I got rid of it, and he was gone when I got back." Gaara didn't say anything.

Life's value over death's was small in Demon's End, compared to the value of life in Upper City. Black Traders were the vultures of Demon's End, taking the bodies of the dead and disposing of them. It was rumored they took body parts and sold them at the Black Market as items with healing powers. One of the reasons Naruto was glad he lived where he did: the Black Market's influence wasn't as strong in Foxtown as it was in the other sections of Demon's End.

"So, Iruka-sama and Kakashi-san aren't coming tonight and we've got all night. Wanna do anything particular?" Naruto asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Kakashi-sama mentioned dogs last night. I assume he wants one?"

"Yeah. Iruka-sama always worries about me when he can't visit. He wants me to have someone else around." Gaara sniffed, looking away.

"I'm here." Naruto smiled, resting a hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"I know, Gaara-san, and I pointed it out to Iruka-sama. He things that it is too strange for you to be with me all the time, like Kakashi-san is with him. He wants me to get a dog, and Kakashi-san wants to help me choose." Gaara rolled his eyes; that man and his dogs…

"Found any one you like?"

"No, not yet. As you heard, I want one that will actually be loyal to me." It felt odd to Gaara to be speaking about such a common topic as dogs, but at the same time, it was kind of nice in a strange way; it was good to talk of things other than their duties as the Nine.

"So, anything you want to do?" Naruto asked again.

"No,-." He stopped shaking his head, looking Naruto with a question in his eyes. "Naruto-sama, are you still working on the Storm?" Naruto grinned.

"Nope, it's finished. Want to try it out?" Without a word, Gaara teleported them both to the basement in a swirl of sand. The pair spent the rest of the night tinkering away at Naruto's weapon, specially made for Gaara's personal use.

"Try it on, Gaara-san." Naruto said, gesturing. It was 3: 27 am, and while Gaara didn't sleep, so an all-nighter was no problem for him, Naruto had a test at nine that morning and needed to get at least a few hours of sleep. But, the blonde was stubborn, and he wanted the Storm to be perfect. Gaara stripped until he was shirtless, and let Naruto fit the Storm.

The Storm was nothing impressive to look at. It encased Gaara's entire left arm. It was simply a fingerless glove, sand-colored with navy designs on it, that fit over his hand. A strip of black metal went down each finger, a cup at the end of the strip around Gaara's fingertips; the cups tapered into long, sharp, navy-blue claws. More strips of metal went up Gaara's arm, a wicked-sharp navy blade, curving like Death's scythe, spiking out at the elbow, two more scythe-like blades coming from the shoulder. The shoulder blades were on a complicated hydraulics system, rotating like a hummingbird's wings, letting Gaara create gusts of wind. Gaara's natural ability to control sand meant that the wind the blades created made him all the more deadly, his sand able to move faster, strike harder, and made a quick, unnoticeable escape. A collar of metal went around Gaara's neck, metal straps going from it to the shoulder, holding the entire contraption to the redhead's body.

It was perfect for Gaara in every way possible.

Unfortunately, while the Storm worked and functioned as it should, there were still a few kinks to be worked out. The shoulder blades were large so they could displace enough air to create a breeze, but this was also their downfall; their support system of delicate hydraulics and beams broke under the strain of the weight, something Naruto was working to fix. The Storm was also slightly bulky, and while Gaara could fit it onto his arm and adjust it as necessary, he needed someone to help him strap the collar in place. The claws on his fingers made it impossible to put the Storm on alone, and the blades on the elbow and shoulder meant that Gaara couldn't wear it unless he was shirtless. Gaara didn't like being shirtless because then everyone could see his hidden weapons. He also didn't like the fact that, without a shirt, his Sacred Seal could be seen.

He idly traced the swirling lines that marred his stomach, then moved to trace the marks on his chest. Naruto slapped the young man's hand away, careful of the Storm's blades.

"Leave them alone, Gaara-san." Gaara narrowed his eyes.

"They itch, Naruto-sama."

"I know, I know. But we can't have you altering them." Gaara held Naruto's hand in his own and looked straight into the blonde's eyes.

"How much longer?" Gaara asked in a tight voice. "How much longer do I have to see you in this pitiful form?" Naruto's scalp prickled at the hint of desperation that had creeped into Gaara's normally blank eyes. He smiled, hoping to calm his friend down before he did something he regretted.

"Gaara-san, I don't know. Until Zabuza-san's war has been stopped. I know the Seals burn, but we needed to retain these forms without worrying. Without the Seals, we would have to constantly remember to keep our Sealed forms. This way, we look human without trying." Gaara released Naruto's hand, hanging his head in a defeated manner.

"Naruto-sama, forgive this idiot tanuki." He said bitterly. Naruto put a hand on Gaara's bare shoulder.

"There is nothing to forgive, Gaara-san. This is the first time you have been Sealed for so long, and the Seals are bothersome. Let's leave the Storm for tonight and go to the kitchen, Gaara. I've found that green tea helps the pain." Gaara nodded, and they disappeared in another swirl of sand, the Storm safely in its designated place.

---

Naruto had never understood the human concept of death. They viewed it as the final part of life, the inevitable, horrible end. The nobles had shrines for their families and paid their respects with offerings of food and drink. Those in Demon's End were so used to death they ignored it. The younger ones didn't understand how others could just watch someone die and not cry for that person. Eventually, though, they too grew immune to tears and mourning, soon not giving the dead more than a passing thought.

But Naruto knew death was not the end of life, just another stage of life, a new beginning in a place where there was no more pain or suffering, only the lasting sense of calm peace and quite joy. He knew that in death, you were free from your body's limitations, able to roam as you pleased, a spirit as slippery as the wind.

The change from spirit to flesh was a major transaction, and he understood all too well how Gaara felt, his own pain being worse than his brother's. Naruto was eight times as powerful as the redhead, and because of this, his Sealing required no less than ten Seals.

Sealing was a difficult process for any of the Sacred Nine; they had almost unlimited power, and binding such power into a single form was no easy task. The main Seal, called the 'Body Seal', appeared at their navels and drew their power in a spiraling pattern, layering it until their demonic energies became physical flesh. In short, the Body Seal made them take human form. Then the other Seals, or 'Tail Seals', drew their tail(s) into their naval, storing power in the body. Tail Seals randomly showed up on their physical forms. Naruto was jealous of Gaara's single tail, because it meant Gaara only had to endure two Seals: a Body Seal, and a single Tail Seal. The Seals burned constantly, a reminder of their mission. A soak in a hot bath or green tea were the only ways Naruto knew of to soothe the annoying pain. He knew why he had been Sealed, and no intention to undo his master's work, but he still didn't get why it _hurt_ so much.

The night passed in comfortable silence, the only disturbances being a few gunshots in the distance and the pounding beat of rap music as a nearby nightclub roared into life. Giving in against sleep, Naruto curled up on the couch and slept under Gaara's watchful guard.

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I am so happy people are still reading! I'm sorry for my little outburst in the pervious chapter, but I really do love reviews. They make me want to continue writing, and tell me whether people like the story or not.

Again, if you want pairings, tell me. If you want a better explanation, let me know and I'll be sure to include one in the next chapter. I tried to move the plot along here, and I'm not sure if I was successful. Please, let me know! I'm still playing with the layout, so bear with me if it's messed up.

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**Notes**:

(1) Just like a system of government, gangs of Demon's End have a hierarchy, based on skills in a fight or thieving abilities. There are the: Elite Top Fighters, Top Fighters, Low Fighters, Pickpockets, and the Runts. The _Elite Top Fighters_ (AKA, the Elite) are those with the greatest fighting skills. They know how to fight with their hands and can turn anything into a weapon. They are often seen with fighter animals (dogs, cocks, or cats), given to them as payment for protection, or as an assurance that they, the Elite, will leave the animals' donor alone. The _Top Fighters_ are the best fighters in a gang, sent to do battle to the death with the Top Fighters of other gangs. They are usually fond of using of their hands instead of weapons, and are known to be vicious killers, killing members of their own gang in a fight. Top Fighters are like prized fighter animals, flaunted by a gang to show its strength and intimidate other gangs, but feared by the gang all the same. Then there are the _Low Fighters_, the fighters who are too young, inexperienced, or weak to be much use in a fight. They travel together, finding safety in numbers, and use mainly ranged weapons. Led by a Pickpocket (AKA, Thief), they make up a gang. Without a leader, they are called a Pack, and are considerably more dangerous as a Pack. As a gang, they are relaxed, content that there is someone to make decisions for them; a Thief is intelligent enough to pick out specific targets and conducts attacks to that target alone so as not to draw attention. As a Pack, Low Fighters are tense, more likely to attack anyone who comes near their territory without reason or warning, not caring if lives are lost or not. _Pickpockets_, or Thieves, are those crafty enough to steal without getting caught. They are gang leaders, able to rule because they are smart and keep the gang alive. On the rare occasion that they are not leaders of gangs, they are kept as the assassins of the gang, used to take out enemies and gather information, much like the shinobi from before the fox's attack were used. _Runts_ are the weakest of the weak. Used as punching bags by gangs to relive stress, they are the crippled, the retarded, anyone who cannot defend his or herself due to physical or metal difficulties. They are not expected to live past a year or so in a gang, and are the first killed in the Culling events.

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	8. Chapter 8: Meeting Hachibi

The next few weeks passed slowly for Naruto. He purposely failed a test just to see Iruka's reaction, and quickly vowed to never do it again; Iruka had refused to see him for a week, and Naruto couldn't bear that happening again. He worked out the last of the Storm's flaws, finished a few weapons for his customers, and created a new weapon for himself. He had yet to see Konohamaru again. No complaints, though; the kid had been nice enough, yes, Naruto would admit this. But Konohamaru was human, so Naruto had always had to watch what he said. With Konohamaru gone, he could speak freely to Gaara without worrying about if anyone heard them or not.

All in all, Naruto was bored out of his mind. He was grateful, for once, that the nobles didn't like the idea of looking like lobsters, and had places outside where you couldn't get sunburned; as long as he wasn't caught, Naruto could climb into the trees planted in public courtyards, and occasionally came down to dip his hands in the fountains when no one was around to see him. The lazy days of the approaching summer stretched on like eternity, still and warm, drenched with moisture. The nights, welcome after the bright heat of the day, were pleasant and cool.

In the warmer months, Naruto regretted living in Demon's End; the smog of the factories in the southern section, the industrial area called Clawscar by the locals and Iron Claw by the nobles for politeness' sake, made it impossible to see the stars and the moon. While he liked Demon's End in the winter because it was definitely warmer because of the body heat of the surrounding masses, Naruto always became slightly depressed in spring and summer. With no long hours of homework to distract his busy mind, as there was no need for him to study, he had more time to work on creating things so dangerous they could kill thousands. This only made Naruto feel worse; he was becoming as violence-driven as the others of Demon's End.

Naruto missed the quiet companionship of the silver orb guarding the dark hours, and began his summer ritual once more. Whenever he could, he went to the ports and made his way to the lookout tower, the tallest building in Demon's End. The tower was an improved lighthouse, created to watch for possible night attacks from the river. It rose from the murky clouds of Demon's End, and was the only place where you could see the stars. Only ten years old, it seemed ancient, and gave off an air of comfort; it had seen many storms and remained standing, at the ready to defend the sleeping citizens of Konoha.

He would scale the tower and, reaching the top, lie back against the rough shingles of the roof and stare up at the sky. He lost himself in the sea of stars that glittered like shards of diamond. He pointed out the shapes of the Tailed Nine to himself, having no-one to share the sight with. Gaara disapproved of Naruto's summer ritual and refused to tag along; the red head didn't want his friend to become an insomniac like himself.

So Naruto searched the heavens for constellations no human would recognize on his own. He gazed unblinkingly at the stars that made up his brothers and sisters, who danced in the sky, free in their Released forms.

Nibi, her two tails whipping behind her, the pair of stars of her eyes smoldering realistically, crouched near the moon at its highest peak. Naruto sighed. Nibi and himself had never really gotten on well; he supposed it was because they were both quick to anger. He wished he could speak to her, or that she would send a messenger and let him know what was going on. He hated being left in the dark! _Which is slightly ironic_, he thought with a laugh, _because Nibi-san is the Tailed Beast of Darkness_.

He sighed again and turned his mind back to the demonic constellations. Mujina hovered low over the horizon, fitting because of her low-set body. The seven-tailed badger of Earth was perhaps the sneakiest Tailed Nine apart from Naruto himself. She could manipulate clay so well that she could take the appearance of anything she desired to look like, and had perfected the art of underground attacks. When in furred form, she would dig a pit, cover it with some of her clay and lie in wait at the pit's bottom. Anything stepped on the clay, and it would collapse, the victim dropping into Mujina's gaping jaws.

Naruto could easily spot his siblings: Raijuu, the six-tailed weasel of lightning; Yonbi, the four-tailed turtle with holes in his shell to let out double blasts of element-based power, the Tailed Nine of Metal. He was unsurprised to see that Sanbi, Houkou, Shukaku, and Kyuubi were missing from the sky. He was interested to see, however, that Hachibi was also missing. He hadn't felt the eight-tailed snake's presence. _That could be because he's on another continent_, he reasoned. Still, he was worried about Hachibi's location, and decided to ask Iruka and Kakashi if they had heard Hachibi was in Sealed form when they were done organizing finals and preparing for the end of the school year.

---

Naruto felt like he was drowning in the monotony of his life. He was one of the Sacred Nine, for the gods' sake! One of the most powerful creatures in existence should not have to go to school, do homework, or take final exams! He was a protector of the two Realms, not a mere _schoolchild_!

But, as much as he whined and complained, Naruto tried to take it all in stride. He kept a grin in place even when he felt like screaming and punching in frustration, and didn't let Sasuke's insults get to him. Finally, after a three-hour history exam with the rest of his classmates, under the careful guard of both Kakashi and Iruka, Naruto was free from school for an entire six weeks; summer vacation had started at last.

Elated at his complete freedom from dreary schoolwork, Naruto raced to the arch, changed, and ran home, eager to polish the Kitsune adoringly, and complete his latest weapon: a slingshot that fired off round metal pellets sparkling with electric energy. Just because he didn't like how he was becoming more violent than normal didn't mean he wanted to go broke; weapons were in high demand, he was good with dangerous things, and the business paid well. When he was finished working, he changed out of his work clothes into his street clothes. Slipping on the last of his bracelets, he glanced through the small window of the office at the front of the garage. There was a man waiting. His precious free time was being cut short! All he wanted to do was drag his old television out from under the bed and steal cable from the local bar. He would only get three channels, but he liked watching commercials for the latest weapons. He realized he was still wearing his goggles; he pulled them off his face and let them hang around his neck.

The man in the office lounged carelessly on the rickety wooden chair opposite the battered desk. Naruto took a moment to observe the man before going inside.

He was well-dressed, meaning he was a noble. _A customer_, Naruto reminded himself, _not just a noble_. Long ebony hair fell to the middle of the man's back, and as Naruto watched, the man pulled it back into a loose ponytail, held by a purple tie. Hair out of the way, Naruto could see a strange earring, like a stylized number 9. He was dressed in a long cream robe, tied around his waist with a sash that matched his hair tie. His pale skin only highlighted the man's dark eyes and lavender tattoos around his eyes. The tattoos went from his eyes to a quarter of the way down his nose.

Naruto went into the office, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible; unlike people from Demon's End, nobles were easily intimidated when in unfamiliar territory, so if Naruto acted as he usually did, high-class customers would never come near his garage.

He knew immediately why Hachibi was missing.

"So, been Sealed, Hachibi-san?" He said casually. Hachibi grinned. The silver 'P' on an eyetooth flashed brightly. Naruto felt his 'fight or flight' instinct bubble to the surface; there was no way he was going to stick around a man marked as a pedophile. He was more powerful than Hachibi, but he still didn't want to be in the other's presence any longer than absolutely nessesary.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly in a clipped tone. He wanted Hachibi _out_ of his home!

"Oh, nothing much, Naruto-sama. I have an old car I want fixed. I asked around, and everyone says you're the best mechanic here. What do you say?"

"It'll cost you twice the normal price." Hachibi scoffed.

"Oh, Naruto-sama, I think we can forget about human laws. Free of charge and I may just let you see my projects before the public."

"Projects?"

"Yes, I'm sure you've heard of me. Orochimaru, head of Sound Bioengineering." The name rang a bell only faintly, but Naruto didn't want to admit to not knowing something.

"Sure, I've heard of you." He dredged up everything Kakashi had told him over the years. "Sound Bioengineering." He said, stalling as Orochimaru looked on expectantly. "Leader in altering human DNA, am I right? You take volunteers and experiment on them to see how to improve the human body."

"Very good, Naruto-sama. I'm impressed. But Houkou got one little detail wrong. You see, I'm not improving anything. I want the humans dead, just as I'm sure you do. I plan to perfect a virus-like strand of DNA that deconstructs the DNA of any human it is injected into."

"And why come to me?" Naruto demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. He could feel the Seals on his body burning cold in an effort to keep his tails from emerging. His nails were already becoming claws as the seconds passed.

"Because, Naruto-sama, you know as well as I that if the humans are dead, our people can prosper once more. Imagine, little kits playing in the ruins of this city, going to the river and catching a shark demon for dinner. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Orochimaru was leaning forwards, face alight with a twisted sort of joy.

"Hachibi-san, I cannot approve of your project. We are protectors of both realms, not just that of demons! I am sorry, but I will be of no help to you. Goodbye, Hachibi-san." Naruto said forcefully. The Seals burned colder, and he could feel his spine start to split. Orochimaru got to his feet, gave a low bow, and turned to leave. Before he disappeared outside, he glanced back with a grin.

"The car's already in your garage. Just send me the bill when you're done." With that, he was gone. Naruto rushed upstairs, not even glancing at Orochimaru's car on his way up. He escaped to the tower, oblivious to all else. He climbed the tall building, a blur against the stone. Once on the roof, he sat at the edge. He trembled, closing his eyes and hugging his knees, trying to protect himself against the pain as his Seals throbbed, stabbing at him like frozen daggers. The tremors slowly calmed, and by three in the morning, he felt more like his normal self. Looking up at the sky once more, he desperately wished his mission was over. He didn't know how much more of this life he could take.

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Hi, everyone. I am _so_ sorry I haven't updated in forever. I've moved house, and it has been pure chaos for the past few weeks. I spent practically all my time packing my stuff into boxes for a week straight. Then, when my family and I were preparing at the old house for the physical move into the new house, the electric company shut off our electricity a day early. We spent two days moving all of our stuff into the new house. We didn't get Internet until two weeks after we moved in. My room is still a mountain of boxes, and I'm sleeping in a different room because it's got a bed. So, yeah, anyone who's ever moved house knows how long, difficult and all-out frustrating it is. Please forgive me! I'm in a summer course for drama, but it finishes this Friday so I'll have more time to write. I'll probably be updating more frequently in the coming week. Again, I apologize for the long wait.


	9. Chapter 9: Going to A Gathering

"Where are you going?" Naruto froze. He was sure he'd be absolutely silent. A small trickle of sand fell from his hair. Cursing silently, he turned to face Gaara. Leaning against the wall, an indifferent expression on his face, Gaara shouldn't have looked concerned. Having lived with the redhead for so long, Naruto could tell Gaara's mood at a glance. Gaara's heavily shadowed eyes were slightly narrowed, and there was a definite stiffness in how he held himself. While Gaara may have had the maternal instinct of a rock, he was _very_ possessive, guarding those he cared for like an overzealous dog watching over a bone.

"Out." Naruto resisted the urge to step back; small crinkles were appearing around Gaara's eyes. Yup, Gaara wasn't about to permit him outside without an explanation. Damn.

"Out?" Gaara said, his voice so soft Naruto barely caught the words.

"Yeah, out. To a concert." If Gaara had been blessed with eyebrows, one would have shot up to join his hair. Gaara wasn't buying it. Naruto pulled out his ticket and let it fall from his hand. A very convenient breeze carried the slip of paper over to Gaara, despite the fact that the window wasn't open. The ticket floated back to Naruto after a moment or so.

"I see." Naruto tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. Gaara was letting him go. "Eleven, no later." Naruto blinked, confused. Since when did he have a _curfew_? He could avoid the Patrol easily: Gaara knew that. What the hell was going on?

"Zabuza?"

"His power has doubled recently." Kakashi said in a bored voice. Naruto let him perform the quick search, then moved to greet the silver-haired Jounin and Iruka. They both looked exhausted.

"Samehada?" The shark servant of Sanbi was capable of giving Sanbi a fivefold increase in energy. If Zabuza had called his subordinate to him, then war wasn't just looming on the horizon, it was barging through the door. But they knew where Samehada was, didn't they?

"No, not Samehada. A young human named Haku."

"So? What's so special about him?" Naruto was definitely feeling out of the loop.

"He is of the Kagami (1), a small craftsman clan originally from the Land of Rock who specialize in mirror making. Very good business, I hear. Their mirrors are not easily broken, and go for high prices among noblewomen." Kakashi raised a hand to stop Naruto from speaking.

"A lesser known fact is that they have a bloodline." _Well, this makes things interesting_, Naruto thought. He nodded, allowing Kakashi to continue.

"It is passed on to the females of the clan, but Haku has somehow inherited it. Because of a close bond with his mother, perhaps? Anyway, this bloodline grants the ability to make mirrors out of a diamond-like crystal, which is why the Kagami mirrors are nearly unbreakable. Haku's family moved to the Land of Snow many years before our Migration to the Protected Grounds. Because of this, the bloodline Haku possesses has evolved to create the crystal out of ice. By focusing his energy, Haku can turn the ice into diamond."

"That's impossible. Water doesn't suddenly change into carbon."

"Normally, yes, it is impossible. But Haku's situation isn't normal. He was orphaned at a young age; his father, jealous of his wife's ability, tried to kill her. She accidentally killed him."

"Accidentally? Someone comes at me with killer intent, I rip their guts out before you can blink." Naruto said matter-of-factly. Kakashi nodded.

"She was making a mirror at the time. The bloodline goes haywire in times of extreme distress. She killed her husband by pure accident, then killed herself out of grief. Haku only survived because he was outside, playing in the snow. I went to his house, still standing only because no-one can remove the crystal. There are spikes of crystal everywhere. Zabuza had been recently Sealed at the time of the murder and, feeling a great release of energy, went to investigate. Apparently, he took Haku with him. He's been training the boy for years."

"So, Zabuza's been feeding him demonic energy? Well, that explains how ice can become diamond. But why did no-one tell me this?"

"Because we didn't know ourselves until recently, Naruto-sama." Naruto sat down on his couch heavily. _Looks like I'm going to miss that concert. But preventing a war is a tad more important than listening to junkies kill their vocal chords, if a bit less entertaining_.

"What do we do?" He asked, running his hands through his hair.

"Not much, I'm afraid."

"We are outnumbered. Zabuza has called demons hiding in the human world to him. They all want humans eradicated." Gaara said in a monotone voice.

"Does no-one remember that we're supposed to keep harmony between humans and demons?"

"We still remember, Naruto-sama, but there are many who want demon supremacy. After the migration, you can't really blame them for wanting to take revenge. Humans are easy targets; they can't compete with us." Iruka said softly, sitting down next to Naruto.

"I know, I know. Warmongering demons have crawled all over me when I'm in the fur, reminding me of Gaara's Sealing, wanting me to take revenge."

"Do you? Want revenge, that is." Iruka asked softly.

Naruto's immediate response was to say, 'No'. He had thought about it before. But that had been years ago. He turned it over in his mind once again.

Yes, he would much rather be in his Released form. He was looking forward to the brewing war if it meant he could get rid of his Seals. He only appreciated how free he was when restored to his natural state as a spirit after years of being Sealed. He hated that it was because of the humans' violent reaction to his Furred self that he had been Sealed. The last time he had been Sealed, it had only been for five years; he had wandered the earth, searching out demons who had escaped the Migration's call, and placing them in the Protected Grounds. His current Sealing, however, had lasted far longer. Seventeen years!!

But did he want to kill all humans, even those not responsible for his constantly burning Seals? No. He had realized that, as a Sacred Nine, it was his duty, his _entire reason for existence_, to keep war from breaking out between humans and demons. He couldn't harbor revenge for those he was supposed to be helping!

"No, I don't." Iruka nodded, relieved.

"Good."

"So, what do we do? As Gaara said, we're outnumbered and weaker. Zabuza has found a way to magnify his energy by way of Haku. He has an army of demons behind him, probably trained to fight. Even as three Sacred Nine, we're Sealed, and can't access the fullest extent of our power."

"True. However, we have something Zabuza does not: the favor of our brothers and sisters. Zabuza has lost their trust. They will do what they can to prevent his triumph." Kakashi said sagely, sound wise beyond his years.

"What about Hachibi-san? He's here, experimenting on humans to find a way to destroy them from within." Iruka suddenly looked very dangerous. His eyes, normally a deep hazel, darkened to black, and he seemed to give out vibes of a savage, barely contained nature.

"He's nothing to worry about, Iruka-sama." Kakashi said soothingly. "Our master is well informed of what he is doing. Hachibi-sama is soon to be…Destroyed."

They gave a collective shudder. To demons, being Destroyed was something you avoided at all costs. Your powers were completely torn from you, and you were reduced to little more than nothing; your name became a curse, and Nature herself turned on you. You were rejected from society, expelled from the Protected Grounds, an outcast in the harshest sense of the word. You wandered, weak and pathetic, in constant agony as your body refused to absorb nutrients and leaked all energy, until you died, alone and unloved. For one of the Sacred Nine to be Destroyed…

"Will our master Destroy Hachibi-sama himself?" Iruka asked. He was answered by Kakashi's silence. Yes, the Demon Lord would personally strip Hachibi of every shred of power.

"Who will take his place? I know of no demon powerful enough or of the right nature to receive the title." Naruto had almost forgotten Gaara was with them, he had been so quiet. Kakashi's mask moved; Naruto assumed he was smiling.

"Our master has someone in mind, and I must say that I agree with his decision. Which reminds me, we need to go to that tower you like so much, Naruto-sama; we must all be present for the entitlement."

---

The short trip to the tower let Naruto clear his head a little. Zabuza had to be at the meeting; entitlements required all of the Sacred Nine to approve of their master's selection. On the roof, they waited.

It wasn't long before unnaturally thick fog engulfed Demon's End. Naruto smiled. Only his brother Yonbi, by combining water and fire within his cavernous shell and letting the fog roll out through the holes, could create such an excellent defense.

"Well, no time like the present. We've been granted a period of Release." Even as Kakashi spoke, Naruto could feel his Seals frosty burn fade into a pleasant sensation. He could tell the others felt the same. Glancing at one another, they leapt off the tower.

Familiar power surged through Naruto, a sharp jolt of glorious heat. Fire swept over him, starting at his nose and rushing down his spine, collecting at his tailbone. He wanted so badly to just shift to his spirit nature and leave his mission behind him. But instead, he became something everyone in Konoha would have recognized: his furred form.

He twisted in midair to take in what he looked like. His furred form was that of a giant fox, easily towering over even the Hokage Mountain. Eyes of deep crimson glowed with untapped power, their pupils cat-like ebony slits. His head was triangular-shaped, starting with a long narrow muzzle tipped with a black nose, tapering off into two long ears which swayed soundlessly as he flew through the air. His black lips pulled back to expose sharp teeth in a grin of pleasure as he took in the sight of his fur, which was as red as blood and glowed like hot coals, and saw how his mane, spilling over his shoulders and chest, shimmered a honey-gold from the heat he projected. A black talon tipped each toe of his paws, which he flexed experimentally. The base of his spine was still taking shape, bulging grotesquely. Then, the bulge exploded into nine long tails, which writhed and twisted in the air, flailing with a controlled passion. He had never been so happy to see his tails in his life.

It was the best feeling in the world. No words could describe how vastly powerful and joyous he felt in his furred form. Several million years' worth of knowledge was at his claw-tips; combined with his endless supply of power and strength, there was nothing he couldn't do. He was invincible!

As the ground rushed up at him, he swept his tails in a single downward stroke, and was propelled high into the air. He looked down, and saw a wolf, a tanuki and a dolphin following him.

The wolf was closest, its five tails streaming out behind him. Silvery-white fur glittered like soft moonlight, darkening to black on his paws, ears and muzzle like the markings of a Seal-point Siamese cat. Smaller than himself, the wolf was still enormous. Intense eyes of icy steel blue peered up into the fox's golden orbs. He grinned. The wolf returned the grin, black lips pulling back to show long fangs.

The fox looked next at the tanuki. He was keeping up nicely despite his more rotund shape. His single tail, made of fish-like scales of hardened sand, worked hard to keep the tanuki moving. The color of sand, his huge body was covered with obscure navy designs. His yellow eyes were rimmed with black, surrounded by a mask of blue; the insides of his ears were also blue.

The dolphin came last, keeping a respectful distance between itself and the tanuki. The smallest of the group, he seemed to swim through the air as gracefully as a real dolphin cuts through water. A stormy grey, his black eyes were alive with the joy of freedom. The only ways he could be identified as a demon by a human were: his size, which was several times larger than a normal dolphin, the intelligence that sparkled in his eyes, and his ability to speak. To other demons, they could tell what he was at a glance, easily seeing his demonic aura and the scent of heavy energies only demons possessed.

They burst through the fog after a few seconds, greeted with the sight of the other Sacred Nine. The council place, the place of Gathering, was set in a manner customary to a Gathering. Shaped like a horseshoe, there were four steps of fog, arranged in an ascending pattern. The step that joined the steps on the left to those of the right was the tallest. At the place's center, the fog swirled thick and white.

"Greetings, my brothers. Welcome." A slender cat said, voice sharp like flint striking flint. She was black with red markings decorating her sleek form, her two tails whipping around her hindquarters. She gave a bow, extending a leg and touching her chin to it.

"Greetings, my sister." They returned, bowing in the same manner. Nibi turned her gaze upon the dolphin, who gave a low bow, nearly forming a ring with his body. Nibi lowered her head slightly.

"Greetings, honored guest from the sea. You, too, are welcomed." With that, she turned neatuly, leapt to a step of fog, and sat down, tails twitching at her feet. The tanuki took his place on the step opposite Nibi, his tail also curling around his feet. The wolf sat opposite a turtle, which was still producing fog. The fox jumped to the tallest step.

In ancient times, when demons and humans still coexisted, the Sacred Nine had been created to ensure the two species could live together peacefully. The Sacred Nine were blessed with three forms: human, demon, and spirit. In human form, they taught other humans how to live with demons and settle human affairs concerning demons. In demon form, they did the same: teaching and keeping harmony. Their spirit form allowed them to communicate with divine beings. They passed on messages from the gods to selected individuals, and ferried prayers from the people to the gods.

The first Gathering of the Sacred Nine was to establish their role as teachers and judges. Since that first Gathering, there had been many more, called whenever a threat to the peace appeared or to prevent bloodshed between humans and demons.

There had been few entitlement Councils, however; the Sacred Nine had been created by the gods to remain strong despite all else, so it took a heavy offense for a Sacred Nine to be Destroyed or a new Sacred Nine declared. It had happened only once before: the original Yonbi, a rooster demon, had become corrupted and planned to destroy the other Nine. He had not planned on his corruption being visible; his body had changed to represent his tarnished nature, becoming half snake, half rooster. Needless to say, he was Destroyed, and the current Yonbi had been announced.

The council seating was arranged on the number of tails. The Sacred Nine with even-numbered tails sat on the right; those with odd-numbered tails sat on the left. Kyuubi, the nine-tailed fox, sat in the center, his tails placed so that four tails were on his left, and another four on right, the ninth tail staying in the middle. This represented the Council of the Sacred Nine, the middle tail standing for Kyuubi himself.

He surveyed his brothers and sisters with narrowed eyes. He was no longer Naruto, the blonde kid from Demon's End, but Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox hailed as King of Demons.

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Notes:

Kagami: I think this is the Japanese word for 'mirror'. If it's wrong, please let me know and I'll fix it!

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Hello everyone! Sad to report, my internet died, so I've been unable to post any more chapters until now. I am leaving for the next 3 weeks to visit my family in another country, so I'm probably not going to be able to post any new chapters until I return. However, if I get a chance to post anything, I will. So, hopefully, when I get back I'll have several chapters written and ready for posting.

Just a reminder: **please** review! Reviews really help me understand what people like, dislike, and what I could do better. Are the characters OC? Am I too vague on certain points? Is there anything you'd like me to go into detail about? Please, don't leave me wondering! Offer suggestions, constructive criticism, ANYTHING! I can't really tell if people like this story and want me to continue or not. Please let me know!

Thank you,

BBAKaiser21


	10. Chapter 10: Muki Tsubasa

Kyuubi, while pleased to see the other Sacred Nine, was also apprehensive about the meeting. Each powerful being knew in his or her mind why they had been called. Kyuubi looked at each Sacred Nine in turn, starting with Shukaku.

The tanuki was more sober than he had been in years; living as a child had curbed his taste for alcohol somewhat. Nibi was just as proud and terrible as she had always been, her eyes glowing with suppressed bloodlust. Sanbi seemed guilty, his trio of tails twitching nervously; appropriate for a traitor. Yonbi had stopped his fog, making the holes in his gigantic orange-toned shell even more noticeable than his four green-scaled tails. Houkou looked stronger than before; he must have been using the Sharingan of his human form to memorize more jutsus during missions as the ANBU 'Hound'. Perhaps the Sacred Nine with the deepest sense of honor, Rokubi, an enormous black weasel, promoted from Lord of Thunder to one of the Sacred Nine, sat with a rigid back, as serious as ever, his six tails gleaming like polished onyx. Shichibi, affectionately known as Mujina, the seven tailed badger and only other female of the Sacred Nine other than Nibi, nibbled delicately at a heavily clawed paw, trying to remove the last grains of her charka-laden clay wedged between the beige talons; the white of her head contrasted sharply with the storm-cloud grey of her body. The glaringly empty spot where Hachibi should have been served as a reminder of the meeting's cause.

Kyuubi turned his garnet-hued eyes to the center of the horseshoe council place, where the eight-tailed snake was, sinister ambition and dark instinct glittering within its slit pupils, ringed within a sea of hazy blood. Coiled like a wound spring, his deep lavender folds, ringed with black, were wrapped around themselves to contain his huge mass within such a limited space. Hachibi's expression was a sneer, as unpleasant to see as the day he had been born. Rumor among the fearful underlings of the demon snake-lord was that Hachibi's mother had sensed the awful power within her son and had offered herself as a sacrifice.

Kyuubi watched Hachibi flick out his overly long tongue, pretending not to care what was about to happen to him; Kyuubi saw it all with disappointment and anger mixed with a touch of pity. Hachibi knew his time was short, yet still put on a mask of cold indifference. Hachibi's uncaring attitude reminded Kyuubi of the human boy, his schoolmate, Sasuke Uchiha. He shook of his thoughts as a column of light encompassed Hachibi, an invisible force making the snake ascend into the air.

The Destroying ceremony had begun.

The Sacred Nine, brothers and sisters in supreme power over the fates of millions of lives, servants of a greater lord, watched as one of their mightiest, Hachibi, the eight-tailed demon of the Orochi snake clan, writhed in midair, his many coils twisting as agony wracked his great body. Horned head thrown back, cavernous mouth gaping open to expose venomous fangs, tongue curling over itself in a silent scream, Hachibi endured this hell alone. One by one, his black-ringed tails were stripped from him; Hachibi's soul shattered along with his body as flesh was ripped apart, bones torn, blood spilling wildly as he flailed, helpless as a newborn human, to do nothing more than endure the pain and pray for death. But death would not come for a long time.

Finally, it was over.

The former Sacred Nine fell onto his pale belly, panting heavily, eyes barely able to stay open. The pain was just as intense as it had been during the Destroying; it would never fade, and from now on, each moment would be spent in pure wretchedness. No drugs could make the stabbing, tearing sensation fade, no jutsu could remove it; to be Destroyed was to be cursed with a pathetic lifetime of suffering, no end in sight, not even death. Not until he had served out his exile as a cursed wandered, would the death-god find him and drag him into its stomach to endure an eternity of suffering. Inch by inch, year by year, Hachibi would slowly be digested, each cell in his body screaming for release.

Kyuubi was the first to speak above the harsh breathing of the bloodied snake.

"My brothers and sisters, we of the Sacred Nine, protectors of the two Realms, are gathered to dispose of one…_unwanted_ being. One of our own, Yamata no Orochi, has betrayed our very reason for existence: keeping the balance between demons and humans. Today, we are here to formally declare him Destroyed, and name a new Hachibi." Kyuubi paused a moment; when he began speaking again, a new hardness had crept into his voice.

"But first, I am bound to declare his sins before you. Yamata no Orochi, known to the humans as Orochimaru, is guilty of committing acts of unspeakable cruelty to human children. He had experimented on innocents to further his own ambition and unquenchable thirst for power, as well as bring about the destruction of all humans. His plans were to use the DNA of humans to construct a virus that would destroy anyone it was injected into. I cannot let these plans be realized. We must announce this _filth_, this_ traitor_, Destroyed. I, Kyuubi, lord of fire, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed. What say you, my brothers and sisters?"

Yamata no Orochi turned his head to Shukaku, silently pleading for his life. But Shukaku looked back into the snake's eyes, and said, "I, Shukaku, lord of wind, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

Nibi spoke without looking away from Yamato no Orochi.

"I, Nibi, lady of darkness, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Sanbi, lord of water, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Yonbi, lord of metal, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

And so it continued with each of the Sacred Nine, each proclaiming the snake guiltly by their words.

"I, Houkou, lord of illusion, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Rokubi, lord of lightning, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Shichibi, lady of earth, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

There was a ringing silence before Kyuubi spoke again.

"It is done. Go, Yamato no Orochi! Leave this Realm and begin your exile." The snake vanished like a Summon, in a puff of white smoke. "The Destroyed is gone from sight, burned from memory. Disgraced, his existence will be tolerated until our lord decides his time's end. Now, a new Hachibi is to be made. Houkou, our lord has selected a potential candidate. Bring him forth." The wolf disappeared for a moment, reappearing in the middle of the horseshoe beside a massive eagle.

Kyuubi surveyed the eagle with bitterness in his heart. He and Yamato had not always seen eye to eye, Yamata's way clashing with his own, but they had been brothers, if not by blood than by a common goal: harmony between the Realms. But Yamata had betrayed them all, just as Sanbi was plotting to do. The broken bond hurt, and now a new demon was to replace Yamata just like that? While it stung him to do so, Kyuubi knew it had to be done. For the Sacred Nine to be complete, there had to be nine of them. The title of Hachibi could not go unfilled.

Despite being female, the eagle was very powerful looking, a deep mahogany brown in color. Her chest was a black-speckled white, puffed out to show pride in herself and give off an air of confidence; zigzagging patterns of black striped her vast wings in a jagged fashion. Impressive talons curled under armored toes of yellow. Strikingly yellow eyes watched Kyuubi apprehensively; those orbs were the only things giving away the eagle's nervousness. Behind her, her tail was fanned out to its full expanse.

"What is your name, honored guest?" Kyuubi asked.

"I am Muki Tsubasa (1), my lord, Kyuubi-sama." Muki said respectfully. Kyuubi's lips twisted into a smile. The eagle knew of honor and loyalty. Unlike Orochimaru, who had flaunted his powers when chosen to claim the title of Hachibi, this bird demon was aware that she was in the midst of being more powerful than herself. Muki was wise to be so humble.

The Entitlement process took a long time, even by demon standards. A candidate, when chosen, was first observed, tracked in secret, in an effort to see any underlying evil. If the candidate passed the observation session, they were rigorously tested to measure power levels. If the candidate passed again, more tests of an academic style were given to prove wisdom. Having completed all three parts of the Entitlement trial, the selected demon was brought to the gathering center to undergo one last test, the one that would decide whether or not a new Sacred Nine would be named: the test of mind.

The test of mind was the ultimate choice. To choose an existence in which you were a being of supreme power, spending your years in service those who would see you bend to their will and follow their wishes, to choose _that_ over a life where you controlled each aspect and changed it to your personal liking. The sacrifice of your dreams and hopes to protect those of other people was not a decision to take lightly. Muki would have to prove that she was fully willing by undergoing a most disturbing test: her mind would be invaded, and all her thoughts laid bare for eight deities to see.

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Notes:

(1) Muki Tsubasa: Muki is the Japanese character of _mi_ meaning "beautiful", combined with _ku_ for "sky", or _ku_ for "long time". It can also come from a nanori reading of _mirai_ for "future". Tsubasa means "wing" in Japanese.


	11. Chapter 11: Atkatsuki and Outrage

Muki passed the test of mind with flying colors; she was as honest as she was fierce-looking. Kyuubi was pleased with her; she made a fine addition to the Sacred Nine. Upon being announced the new Hachibi, she had been asked her element. Yamato no Orochi had been of poison, after his clan; the Orochi snake demons were infamous for their toxins and venoms. Muki had chosen light as her element, to combat Nibi's darkness. Her choice was well-received by the others.

Kyuubi, Houkou, Shukaku and the dolphin demon bade farewell to the new Hachibi and other Sacred Nine, then soared back down to the human world, resuming their Sealed forms. They landed silently on the tower's roof.

Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, his mask twitching a bit – he seemed to be smiling. "Hey, kid, can I pick'em or what?" Naruto grinned.

"You sure can, Kakashi. You did well to choose Muki." Kakashi glowed at the praise.

"Yup, and-." The silver-haired Jounin was rudely interrupted by his stomach growling loudly. "Ah, I always forget. Our time is different from human time. Our meeting must have taken a few days if even this body is complaining."

"I'm hungry as well." Naruto looked up at the star-pricked sky and the watching moon. "But it's too late to eat. No restaurants will be open at this hour." Kakashi held up a finger, wagging it in a scolding fashion.

"Ah-ah-ah, Naruto, you're forgetting who you're with. Iruka and I have lived here longer than you, and we've made a few friends. We know a place that's open, don't we, Iruka-sama?"

"I think I know a place open all night in Upper City." Iruka said, glaring at Naruto for making a face. "Just because you don't like nobles doesn't mean you can't appreciate their food. Kakashi and I are friends with the family; they'll let you and Gaara in if you're with us." Naruto's stomach rumbled.

"Fine," He said. "But I expect the food to be good."

--

He wasn't disappointed.

On the outside, the restaurant was plain and comforting against the white stones of the surrounding Upper City, with wood and brick exterior. A worn sign proclaimed the restaurant to be, "Akimichi's". They went inside and were greeted by a heavy-set man with spiky reddish-brown hair wearing a chef's apron. He laughed loudly in a friendly manner when he saw Iruka.

"Iruka-san, my friend, you've been putting off your visit, haven't you? I've not seen you in quite a while. I'm glad you finally decided to come." He spotted Naruto and Gaara. "And you brought friends! Excellent!"

The man, Choza Akimichi, led them to a table at the back. He disappeared through the swinging doors of the kitchen. They waited for only a few minutes, enjoying the serenity of the almost-empty restaurant mingle with the muffled noise of the bustling kitchen, before a waiter dressed in black and white came to serve them drinks. Choza appeared again, both hands carrying a tray overflowing with plates of food. He set the plates down, pointing out each delicacy with pride. There were meals from different countries mixed in with those of native areas; it was as if every dish in the world had been prepared.

It was excellent, each morsel melting in the mouth, releasing an explosion of perfectly melded flavors and texture. There was every meal you could ever fancy or imagine. Roast meats like duck, rabbit and pheasant sat crowned on a bed of cooked vegetables, drizzled with a light oil sauce. Bowls of soups ranging from French onion to creamy herb potatoes to Italian wedding steamed pleasantly. There were even bowls of ramen, which Naruto quickly commandeered for himself. After the main course' plates were cleared away, smaller plates of cheeses were placed before them. Fruit, sliced in creative ways, was put in bowls near a plate of different sauces to compliment the flavors. The cheese and fruit gone, different flavored hard candies were brought out.

Naruto was familiar with a few of the candies; the lower class had access to the scraps nobles didn't want, such as mint and occasionally chocolate. But the most common candy of Demon's End was made of a tough root that grew easily with very little soil – perfect for the poor. The plant, Harmal, (1), had long, thin stems covered with sharp thorns. The stems were tipped with bright green bulbs that burst into yellow flowers come springtime. But it was the root that was valuable – the juices contained in the roots were used as medicine from everything from headaches to broken bones. The skins of the roots were boiled, and the water mixed with various ingredients so that it hardened into large sheets of cloudy-green. The sheets were then broken into pieces and sold for a copper a bag.

The candy made from Harmal was very bitter, so Naruto reveled in the expensive tastes of vanilla, and rosehips. He slipped a few of the chocolate flavored ones into his pant pockets, saving their sweetness for later; he was used to dark chocolate made from spoiling beans, so he wanted to keep the candies as long as possible.

The group left stuffed to the gills; even Naruto, a bottomless pit when it came to food, couldn't eat another bite, his pockets laden with stolen scraps and candy. When going out the front door, Choza gave them each a paper bag filled with containers brimming with extra food.

The Akimichi clan was a family of food-lovers who also loved cooking. They were ranked based on cooking ability, so it's head, Choza, was the best chef in Konoha. Naruto resolved to go back to Akimichi's if only to see Choza again; the man seemed kind, despite being a low noble. _Perhaps not all nobles are rotten to the core._ Naruto thought as he settled down onto his couch early that morning.

--

The summer passed quickly after that. Soon, Naruto was back in school and miserable. His birthday was only a few months away, and he would be eighteen, old enough to leave the village. As an inhabitant of Demon's End, however, he had little choice but to stay in Konoha; commoners were prohibited from traveling outside the surrounding lands owned by local farmers.

One difference at school was welcomed by very few: the arrival of two newcomers. The strangers, brother and sister, came from a village of the Winds nation, Sunagakure, and were the children of the current Kazekage.

The girl, called Temari, was seventeen, and had flaxen blonde hair tied into four bunches. Her short bangs were held away from her iron-grey eyes by a headband that matched her black, kimono-like robe. The robe had elbow-length sleeves, went down to her ankles like a dress, and was held to her waist by a blood-red sash. Temari wore fishnet tights and open-toed sandals, both black in color. When she was first presented at morning assembly, she carried two giant pieces of metal hinged together on her back by way of a thick leather strap. (2) She was only allowed to dress the way she liked because of her father's rank, the reason she could carry her weapon in the first place.

In the first week she was at the Academy, Temari gained the reputation of being a highly skilled analysis. Cold and calculating, unafraid of being cruel, Temari quickly became popular with the High Nobles - they shared the same attitude. The Low Nobles were less quick to suck up to her, keeping their distance. For good reason, too – her brother was a force to be reckoned with.

Kankuro, Temari's younger brother by a year, was hard to read. He had a very odd style of dressing. Next to his sophisticated-looking sister, he was downright weird. He wore a black hat with cat ears on it, which went down to his neck, so no one knew what colored hair he had; the cat ears only accented the purple markings all over his face. His mouth and eyes were outlined in purple, and he had purple triangles on his forehead and chin. There were strange, swooping marks under his eyes as well (3). Kankuro was paler than Temari, probably because he wore long-sleeved black shirts, black pants, and sandals that only exposed his toes. Like Temari, he carried a large weapon on his back, though no one could tell what it was. Wrapped in layer upon layer of white bandages, the weapon seemed topped with a bush of spiky brown threads (4).

Kankuro disliked kids – this was apparent every morning, when he kicked the youngest of the students out of his way. Like his sister, he was very cold and distant, rude when speaking to those of lower class, but impeccably polite when amongst adults. Kankuro was aptly named; he was cankerous, grumpy and sullen a majority of the time. However, as an honored guest in Konoha, he was allowed to do anything he wanted.

On a happier note for Naruto, Iruka had insisted that Gaara join school. Gaara had refused at first. But, in the middle of the second week, the redhead stalked into the middle of a computer programming lesson, schoolbag slung over his shoulder, a scowl crinkling his forehead. The surprised teacher had no choice but to let Gaara join the class: Gaara had a note recommending him by none other than Iruka Umino. Iruka was well-known for his ability to spot talent, and to turn away a child hand-picked by the scarred man was crazy. Gaara was directed to the seat next to Naruto. Naruto turned back to the lesson with a small smile on his face, his outlook for the school year a bit brighter. With Gaara beside him, maybe Sasuke would stop trying to pick a fight with him.

His good mood didn't last long. By the end of the day, bruises were blossoming all over his body. Just from a simple misunderstanding. He had bumped into none other than the newcomer, Kankuro, by accident. Kankuro took it as a personal injury and hurriedly settled the score with a lightning arsenal of kicks and punches. With a teacher nearby, Naruto had had no choice but to take the hits without complaint. Gaara had gotten involved when the blonde had cried out after having his feet knocked from under him. The fight took on a deadly atmosphere, murderous intent radiating from the gourde-carrying boy. One look at Gaara, and Kankuro had turned his back on Naruto and calmly walked off, a sadistic grin on his face.

The two boys, Naruto and Gaara, were currently waiting at Naruto's apartment for Iruka and Kakashi to arrive, both hoping against hope that Iruka wasn't going to break into a lecture the moment he set foot inside. But they had nothing to fear from the calm-tempered man. Iruka and Kakashi had discovered something they thought Naruto and Gaara would be interested by. Iruka sat down at the kitchen table, Kakashi leaning against the cabinets.

"What is this all about, Iruka-sama?" Naruto asked.

"You both know about the organization, the Akatsuki, right?" They all nodded.

The Akatsuki were highly-skilled men who were at ANBU level in terms of ability, but not part of the military itself. They used Aryan, religion of the nobles, as a cover for killing off the lower class. The Akatsuki first started the Cullings, which happened every New Year's Eve.

In the barely-operational hospitals and nurseries of Demon's End, almost two thousand elders, newborn babies and anyone who was ill were slaughtered, their bodies left in the beds and cribs for staff to burn in the morning. The Cullings were both terrible and a relief. A terrible tragedy because it caused heartbreak throughout poor families, but at the same time a relief because it meant there were less mouths to feed, less people to support. Wages were low enough, but to pay for hospital care on top of taxes and housing expensed meant that children often starved to death before the age of three.

Like ghosts, the Akatsuki were never caught physically committing the murders, but their symbol, a stylized red cloud, was usually cut into the chests of their victims. Lately, the Akatsuki had become even more violent, and rumors about abductions and torture sessions were spreading like wildfire throughout Demon's End.

Because the group used religion as a cover, the government didn't dare question the deeds of the Akatsuki. Some of the High Nobles open supported the criminals, while the more humane Low Nobles quietly protested. No action was taken to stop the Akatsuki, so the body count kept climbing. The most recent death was the daughter of a cloth merchant, which had caused a slight uprising in a few of the nobles. Merchants were invaluable to Konoha's growth. Miners brought back silver and gold from deep within the earth, but the natural supply was dwindling due to the sheer number of mines. The local farmers who worked on noble-owned lands usually had a surplus, as did fruit growers, so merchants exporting the goods were paid well.

"We have reason to believe that the killings outside the yearly Culling are not random murders. The Akatsuki are looking for something."

"What? They can't be touched by the government, they have High Noble support, and the fear of every person in Demon's End. What more could those bastards possibly want?"

"Naruto, control yourself!" Kakashi barked. Ever since the Council, Naruto had been quicker to anger than ever before, and had to keep clipping his nails, which were constantly growing into claws. Naruto took a deep breath, trying to slow his anger. Iruka continued.

"As you know, Konoha has grown more and more paranoid after the fox." Iruka said, glancing at Naruto. "Fear of another devastating attack is the constant theme of military politics. Especially after the 'Pet incident'."

Said incident was when a few High Nobles started the trend of having weak demons (one that could be controlled by electric collars and whips) imported as infants to become pets. The ten families who imported the demons had been exiled from Konoha, regardless of their high stature.

"Anyway, Kakashi did a little listening in on their radios, and they were mentioning something pertaining to demons."

"Get on with it." Gaara growled. "I still have to do that programming essay."

"You don't sleep, you've got plenty of time, Gaara-san." Gaara sniffed, sneering a little at Naruto's words, but said no more. "Go on, Iruka-sama."

"As I was saying, the Akatsuki kept mentioning 'vessels' and 'containers'. They also listed names. The girl killed just a few days ago, the merchant's daughter, was one of the names. The Akatsuki were confident that she was the human prison of a fish demon."

"So they tried to remove it, and it killed her." Iruka nodded.

"Yes. This can't go on. While demons aren't very common here, with the Festival of the Sea coming up in five months, there are going to be thousands of foreigners from different lands in Konoha. The Akatsuki will strike then, killing anyone they believe to have a demon sealed within them."

"And why does this really matter, Iruka-sama? Sure, the Akatsuki are dangerous, but they won't risk blowing their religious cover by mentioning demons."

"On the contrary, Naruto. Mentioning demons will actually help the Akatsuki murder more people. If the government thinks that the Akatsuki are killing off demons, then officials will support the group's every move. But it is much more serious than a few people dying. Zabuza and his army will probably use the festival to infiltrate Konoha and cause its downfall."

"Why start here? There are human lands closer to the Mist than Konoha."

"No disrespect, Gaara-san, but use your _head_. Konoha is a place associated with the downfall of a demon. While the sealing of the fox into a human is a completely false story, it has had powerful effects on the world. Other major cities, Sunagakure, for example, began the eradication of demonkind after they heard about the attack on Konoha. Konoha is the catalyst for the great demon Migration to the Protected Realm, the reason so many demons have died in recent years."

"Things were bad between demons and humans centuries before Konoha was attacked!" Naruto said, jumping to his feet and forcefully slamming his palms down on the table.

"Humans started everything! Humans tried to make us become dumb animals, to breed us into tameness, to rid themselves of beings more knowledgeable than themselves."

His voice got louder the more he recounted past deeds.

"They were jealous of the demons' closeness to the gods and the knowledge they thus gained! They couldn't understand why demons were the divine messengers, not humans, why demons knew so much, lived so long, had such power, and humans were only blessed with two legs and a working mind. Humans first invented slavery and began capturing us for their own entertainment. It was because of how humans treated their demon slaves that our kind began to thirst for revenge and blood. Entire families were ripped apart when humans stole our young and raised them in a world of cruelty and collars! _It was the fault of __**humans**__, not because I attacked Konoha!_"

He sat back down in his seat, glaring with red eyes, _daring_ anyone to contradict him.

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Notes:

(1) Harmal: 'Syrian rue', is a bitter medicinal herb, and is unrelated to another plant called rue. The Harmal I am using in this fanfic is based on the real plant, but I've changed its appearance and uses.

(2) This is my description of Temari in her Part II outfit. The metal bits are her fan, but since no one at the academy has seen the fan part, it looks like she's carrying a metal club.

(3) Kankuro's face paint from Part I.

(4) This is Karasu, or 'Crow', Kankuro's first puppet.


	12. Chapter 12: Petite Messenger

Soon after Naruto's outburst, Iruka and Kakashi left without saying goodbye. Naruto felt guilty for a while, but stuck by what he had said. Humans _had_ started the whole 'demons VS humans' thing by enslaving demons, then trying to breed them into animals incapable of speech or higher thought; demons had only reacted to the cruelty humans displayed towards them.

Life went on, as did the Akatsuki killings. Every week, it seemed, some poor soul had been found, every inch of their abdomens covered with thousands of tiny puncture marks, like that of needles. Kakashi had to abandon his eavesdropping; the Akatsuki were getting suspicious and had begun using code names for just about everything. Kakashi could only guess at the meanings of, "Weaselfin dog kit." Weaselfin could be a place, person or weapon, or the name of a killing method. Dog could mean follow, track, or hunt, as no one could imagine it representing loyalty or devotion for a group that revolved around murder. And while Naruto pointed out that 'kit' was a baby fox, kit could also indicate a tool kit or weapon-repairing kit. It was very confusing and frustrating, so Kakashi quickly gave up. Too much hassle, he said. And to top it all off, Nibi's constellation had grown brighter in the sky, a signal that war was approaching.

Zabuza was gaining strength.

On the other hand, school was picking up the pace, meaning that Naruto, Gaara and Iruka were too busy to do much more than work. Naruto was in an advanced course with Iruka teaching, and his version of a workload was much heavier than Gaara's. If Gaara was busy with an essay, it was almost certain Naruto was swamped with at least three.

Early one morning, around 2: 09 am, Gaara and Naruto were finishing the last of their homework. They didn't bother looking up when there was a scratching on the window; lots of stray animals were attracted to them, sensing they had something in common. The scratching stopped. A few minutes later, a calico cat jumped right into Naruto's lap. The blonde blinked, looking down at the cat. '_Since when do we have a cat?_' absently crossed his tired mind as he stared into the molten gold eyes of the animal. It was beautifully colored, mottled with black and a rusty orange, patched of white on its belly and throat, a streak of white going up its nose from its chin to curve around its left eye. A black ribbon was tied around its neck, and there was a little bell attached to it that jingled merrily.

"Um, Gaara? We didn't install a cat-flap, did we?"

"No. We talked about it so Nibi's messengers could keep us informed, but then she switched to using ghosts, and we decided against it. Why?" Gaara said without looking up from his essay's conclusion.

"Just wondering why there's a cat on my lap if the widow isn't open." Gaara raised his head for the first time in a while, wincing as his neck protested. One eye closed against the pain, he rubbed his neck, and saw the cat, which was giving him an amused glare. Gaara sighed. "Why now of all times, I wonder? If Nibi wanted to contact us, she could just force her way into our dreams. She's good at that."

"You don't sleep, and lately, neither have I." Naruto pointed out, a little angry that Nibi had chosen to send one of her messengers to them _right __**now**_. He was just a few more sentences from finishing his essay on 'back-door' codes that let programmers take full control of an entire computer system within minutes.

But Nibi had always been difficult to control. A rebel by nature, the she-cat was hard to please and demanding as hell. If they ignored her messengers, Nibi would contact them telepathically. This would have been fine if not for the fact that this mental connection made them look, to humans, like they were having epileptic fits or being possessed, neither of which looked good on their records.

Naruto sighed.

"Alright, kitty, tell us what that hellcat wants us to know now." He said with an impish grin. 'Hellcat' was the other Sacred Nine's nickname for Nibi – it fit her personality _perfectly_.

With a reproachful sniff, the cat gave a sharp yowl and leapt onto the tabletop, sitting on their pile of books, effectively cutting off all hopes of working under the pretense of listening. The bell on its ribbon collar tinkled softly, then began glowing. The cat's eyes also began glowing, and Nibi's voice echoed from its small mouth.

"Greetings, my brothers," the cat said.

"Yo." Came Kakashi from behind them. While Naruto hated being snuck up upon, the leech-like quality of homework that left his thoughts sluggish and centered on sleep prevented him for doing more than grunting at the silver-haired Jounin apishly.

"Can we get on with this?" Gaarra asked, impatient to get back to his essay.

"Sure, Gaara." Naruto turned back to the cat, who was giving them expectant, somewhat reproachful looks. "Continue, please, little kitty."

Sorry for the long wait, but if you check my other stories, you'll see that I've recently updated one of them, 'Recalled to Life', because I've gotten hooked back on BeyBlade after looking at pictures of phoenixes and seeing Dranzer, who is, for those who don't watch BeyBlade, a phoenix. It reminded me of how much of a plotline I had yet to complete in the story, and I decided to get cracking and begin updating more frequently.

However, I will try to update each story equally, but 'Last Hero' has a storyline just as complicated as 'Recalled to Life', so it may take a while to explain them both fully. Anyway, leave reviews, good or bad! They are what keep me going; the more reviews I get, the faster I will update, I _**promise**_.


	13. Chapter 13: One of Us

With one last disgruntled sniff, Nibi continued to speak through her messenger. "Brothers, I have news concerning the Atkatsuki and their targets. The Atkatsuki are hunting…" For the first time since Naruto could remember, Nibi seemed uncomfortable, making the cat's body shift restlessly, feeling its master's nervousness.

"For what?" Kakashi prompted. "A weapon? A person?" The cat shook its head. "A rubber ducky? 'Cause if so, I've got a few of those back at my place, if they want." Kakashi noticed the strange looks he was getting. "For dogs, you know? As…chew…toys?" He said hesitantly, getting slower with each word. "You know, in case I find one I _like_?" He finished very quickly, as though he didn't want anyone to understand him.

"Mm-hm," Gaara hummed, looking amused.

"Sure, Kakashi-san." Naruto said, a fox-like grin showing off his long canine teeth. "Keep telling yourself that."

Nibi growled impatiently. "As I was saying, the Atkatsuki are hunting for, well, _us_."

"_What_?" Was the collective gasp. Their Sealed forms exuded no demonic energies, impossible to track or trace, they had airtight papers concerning their backgrounds, and if, worst came to worse, they had their true strength to fall back upon - as a last resort, of course. How on earth could any human or demon trace them?

Unless…

"They've got one." Naruto said suddenly.

---

"Crap. If they've got one of us…" Kakashi let the sentence die, unwilling or unable to wrap his mind around the very concept.

"Then it's only a matter of time before they find us and our Sealed bodies die." Iruka pointed out, not happy about the prospect; he was not pleased with the idea of what a Sacred Nine, under human control, would do, what destruction, what violence and endless death counts would follow. Naruto, too, was not a happy camper; he had put a lot of time and effort into acting human; he had even developed a taste for certain foods, like ramen.

"The one they have is not part of the Sacred Nine, my brothers. Instead, they have captured and Sealed, I suspect by Zabuza's powers, one of Rokubi's head servants." Naruto had seen a power like that before, and wanted to confirm his hunch.

"Let me guess. It's got black fur, red eyes, and attacks using lightning?" The cat nodded, looking perplexed. "I wasn't sure at first, but you've just confirmed my suspicions." Turning to the others, he said something that left them all very shocked. "Looks like we're going to kill one of the Uchiha family." Gaara laughed nervously.

"Just because you don't like Sasuke doesn't mean we have to kill him, Naruto-sama." Naruto glared at the redhead.

"I'm not talking about Sasuke. I'm talking about his older brother, Itachi." Growling at the blank stares he was receiving, he explained. "Itachi fits the bill perfectly: black hair-."

"All Uchiha's have black hair. And red eyes if you piss them off enough." Kakashi calmly pointed out a flaw to his logic; Naruto saw the amusement in the man's visible eye. Kakashi knew exactly what to do and say to get under his skin, and it annoyed Naruto to no end.

"Naruto, when was the last time you had a good night's sleep?" Iruka suddenly demanded, dropping all formalities as he slid into 'mother-hen' mode. Naruto blinked slowly, tired brain still trying to respond to Kakashi's comment.

"Uh…"

Iruka glared. "No killing Uchihas until you've slept. And I don't care about any homework you've got, Naruto, you are going to bed and that is final." Iruka transferred his glare to Gaara. "And I know you don't sleep, Gaara, but I forbid you from working."

"But I still have an essay of yours to do, sensei." Iruka didn't back down.

"As I said, I don't care. I'll say I forgot about it and push the due date forwards a few days." Naruto grinned.

"Have I ever told you, you totally _rock_, Iruka?" Now it was Iruka's turn to grin.

"Not for a few days, Naruto."

"Well, you rock, Iruka."

"I know." Kakashi, amused as he was by the silliness going on between Iruka and his student, there was business to be done. Namely, _sleeping_. One swift tug later, Iruka and himself were outside Naruto's place and on their way to the apartment they shared.

---

When Naruto was so tired he didn't feel the least bit exhausted no matter how long he'd been up, he got a little, well…_strange_. So he was glad Iruka had told him to sleep last night; his sanity was no longer crying in a corner, protesting that two plus two did not equal pillow. Instead, he was functioning after a few cups of crap coffee and a shower, cold as usual, seeing as Demon's End was not graced with hot water. He went through school as usual, doing his best to remain under the radar; he was still tired enough to not want extra attention.

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Sorry, everyone, but I have been really (read: insanely) busy lately, and have had this, admittedly short, chapter written for a while, but haven't even thought to post it until today. I have a huge project due in a few days and that is practically all-consuming; creative inspiration is not an option with that much work due.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you like it!

Again, I am really, really _sorry_.

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** If anyone has any ideas for the fic, let me know in a review or something – _**no**_ e-mail, as I don't check it often. I've already posted the beginning, know how it's going to end, but am having issues writing the middle part. So, please tell me and I'll try to work it in somewhere.

I really am desperate for ideas.

If you want this fic to continue, send me suggestions!


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